


The Titan Host Club

by amisimple



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Host club AU, M/M, Other, ereri, riren - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-12
Updated: 2016-01-01
Packaged: 2018-01-11 22:37:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 86,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1178787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amisimple/pseuds/amisimple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi is the most popular host at The Titan Host Club, known for his cold and composed demeanor. One day, a kid named Eren Jaeger stumbles upon the host club in hopes of searching for a new job. Accidents occur and Eren ends up forced to work at the host club…for free!</p><p>Tension rises shortly after their first meeting, but how shall Eren and Levi deal with other within their close vicinity? Featuring all of your most beloved SnK characters as hosts or related persons, what are you waiting for? Come on and step into The Titan’s Host Club~♥</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. welcome~!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A prestigious host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> Feeling a bit solitary or simply bored? Order a nice cup of coffee to warm your heart as one of our lovely hosts will surely accompany you to the best of their abilities!
> 
>   
> Missing that beautiful smile of yours lately? Treat yourself to some delectable strawberry pastries as well as a delightful experience with a suitable new acquaintance!
> 
>   
> Whether you need a lifelong friend or simply a companion for the evening, our hosts are here to serve you diligently with the most refined services.
> 
>   
> So come on in, grab a comfy seat, and welcome to The Titan Host Club~!♥

_4:49 p.m._ He stepped into the small room and closed the door behind him, balancing on his tippy toes to hang the well-kept clothes on some crooked hooks above his head. After carefully arranging the clothes the way he wanted (even if they were only going to be there for a few minutes), he flattened himself back onto his feet and kicked off his shoes. He tugged off his shirt gracefully, strands of dark hair lingering onto the fabric due to the static. He hung the shirt up and quickly grabbed the white button-up next to it, swinging it onto himself at an efficient speed. His hands moved diligently as they fastened the buttons from bottom to top, not missing a single one. His jeans were the next to go, immediately replaced with a tidy pair of black pants. He tucked his shirt in neatly and fastened the cuffs of the sleeves, finally feeling the usual fitting he was most comfortable with. He threw on the black vest and coat and buttoned them per usual, shoving his feet into the newly polished black shoes in the same moment. Brushing himself off and straightening himself up one last time, he pulled his former attire from the hook, swiftly glancing at the mirror as he left the room in a flurry. 

_4:51 p.m._ He ran his fingers through his hair, allowing it fall and cover his forehead in the natural manner as he made his way through the building. His pace was alarmingly fast, as he kept his head held high and his compelling gaze fixed sturdily ahead, dictating pride and purpose in his steps.

As he walked past, a fair-haired man wearing a green apron (which was caked in white flour) caught sight of him through a pair of open doors.

"Oi~!!" the man called after him. "Do me a favour and GET THOSE FOUR LAZY BUTTS BACK IN HERE WHEN YOU SEE THEM!"

Unfortunately, the desparate cry elicited no response, as the other had already passed through another door.

_4:52 p.m._ As the door slammed shut behind him, he found himself suddenly holding the gazes of four people scattered throughout the room. The room had a refreshing mood to it, with its casual lighting, humble amount of decor and very comfy looking seats which, at the moment, were occupied by the owners of the bothersome gazes. Ignoring the undesirable attention, he turned his back to them as he folded his clothes and tucked them away carefully into a bag, resulting in the immediate dissolution of stares and return to former conversations. However, one pair of eyes remained fixated, though they shortly moved to peek at the cat-shaped clock on the wall.

She smirked. "Wow. Just under four minutes. That's a new record. Even for you."

"Tardiness would be a direct implication of disorganization."

"Hmph. It serves you right for arriving so late."

"It's not my fault some idiot suddenly decided to speed and cause a pointless collision."

"Excuses, excuses. You should really stop talking back to me. Technically I'm still your boss, I could fire you at any time—"

"HANJI!"

The bespectacled brunette held up her hands in reconciliation. "I know. I know. Don't poke at the angry bear with a stick...or something."

A cute and youthful blonde girl in the room became momentarily distracted from her own conversation.

"Poking a bear with a stick? Isn't that from Dumb Ways to Die?" she spoke with an innocent tone.

The dark-haired, freckled young woman with tanned skin beside her snorted in a rather unfeminine manner.

"Boss Hanji plays that stupid kids' game? Who would've thought?" she jabbed.

Hanji immediately forgot her former exchange and spun around in a flurry of anger. "HEY! IT'S HARDER THAN YOU THINK! LET ME SEE YOU GET PAST 2000 POINTS!"

A brown-haired lad looked up from his phone. "Who the hell even plays that game anymore? It's like a year old."

"Shut up, Jean. You're no better with your stupid Flappy Bird shit," the dark-haired girl shot back, satisfied as her opposition's expression scrunched up in anger.

"HAAAA! Ymir got you there, you little prick!" the woman called Hanji blew a raspberry jeeringly.

_4:55 p.m._ A disgruntled cough suddenly sounded from the corner, once again attracting all the attention towards that one side of the room. They were met with a pair of exasperated eyes, digging through to the back of their skulls.

"Now, if you're all done being mature, I think we all have jobs to get to right now," the raven-haired man said, his voice dripping with mockery.

"Aughhhhh! Breaktime is over already?!" the snippy-mouthed Ymir groaned as she got up from her couch and stretched openly.

"I hate Saturday evening shifts..." Jean mumbled in the corner as he dragged himself sluggishly off the couch.

"Well, you better stop complaining because we've got a busy night to attend to!" Hanji said. "A lot of us have fully or almost fully booked schedules tonight—except for Jean of course...as always—not to mention we have two potential recruits dropping by later tonight. Oh! And Erwin's coming back so it's going to be one hell of a hectic night!"

"Sounds great!" Ymir responded gleefully, though it was unclear whether she was referring to the evening's schedule or the subtle but effective jab at Jean. She pulled her jacket off the side of the couch and strutted her way towards the door eagerly.

"Come on, Christa! Let's ditch these losers and grab the good ones before they're gone!" she piped. And just like that, the petite blonde ran out after her companion with an endearing "See you all later!"

"Ughhh...how are we going to handle all this with only four hosts here?" Jean whined again as he dragged his way across the floor.

"Quit complaining," Hanji snapped. "According to the schedule, Annie, Reiner, and Marco should all be piling in here around seven anyways. And I've got Sasha and Connie on stand-by, so they can come at a moment's notice. Not to mention I plan on immediately training the two possible recruits so we could give some slots to them too if the customers don't mind."

Jean's face perked up at the mention of one of the pending arrivals, but he quickly changed the meaning of his smile with a different comment.

"How do you know the two applicants are going to be any good anyways?" he asked.

Hanji shrugged. "Woman's intuition."

"Not that bullshit," Jean scoffed.

The female superior smiled. "Well, it got me to where I am today and I'm absolutely loving my life the way it is...maybe you should listen to it sometime and even you may actually get somewhere in life."

"No thanks. I'd rather live the way I am now than turn into a monster like you."

The two exchanged mocking glares until Jean finally left the room.

At last, there were only two people left in the room.

_4:57 p.m._ _  
_

"Ah, you better get out there now or you're going to be officially late," Hanji smiled.

"Don't plan on it," the man responded as he straightened his collar and turned towards the  door.

Hanji stared after him curiously.

"Levi."

He paused at the mention of his name.

"Hn..?"

A glint shone in her glasses as she tilted her head. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?"

Hanji smirked and tossed a white cloth into Levi's hand.

"You really look so peculiar without it."

Levi gruffly grabbed the cloth, refusing to admit that, for the first time in _forever_ , he'd forgetten the most important part of his attire. He quickly turned away and ran out the door, refusing to see the smug grin on Hanji's face as she caught his mistake.

"Good luck out there tonight!" she called after him right before the door closed.

He slung the white fabric around his neck, rushing out to a large pair of closed, ornate doors. He pushed them open, as he had done pretty much every day of his life for the past years.

The room was filled with wooden tables and chairs, set up to resemble a café of sorts, but it was obvious that this place was so much more than just a simple coffee shop. Each table had a unique flower centerpiece, placed atop a neatly patterned cloth, creating a refined appearance. The casual, dim lighting created the welcoming and intimate atmosphere of the large place as it highlighted the room's best features. It formed the perfect shadows and highlights on the prestigious decorations that Hanji had meticulously chosen herself; every flower, every vase, every display case, every rug and every little trinket seemed to blend in perfectly with one another. The furniture looked as if it were brand new, regardless of them having a very antique and illustrious quality to them, fully capturing the essence of the place. The elegant curtains billowed out into the room, letting in the necessary amount of sunlight to make the place comfortable in the mornings. At night, they would let the curtains drop and bring out the candles, accentuating the warmth and comfort in a way which both the staff and customers preferred.

But it was not even the lovely setting that made this place as pleasant as it was.

More than anything, it was the people.

As Levi scanned the room and saw the countless heads, and the radiant smiles of each and every one of the customers. There were indeed many people, and somehow, they all seemed extremely content with themselves.

Of course. Rarely did a customer leave without a smile.

Near the side where Levi had just entered from, there was a coffee counter as well as a fantastic display of delicious looking pastries, prepared carefully and diligently by the kitchen staff. Seeing the colourful macaroons, the red velvet cake, the pecan pie, the variety of cookies and the overwhelming amount of other mouth-watering treats, Levi suddenly remembered Mike Zacharias from the kitchen, who had certainly called after him earlier, pleading him to search for his fellow kitchen staff members. They happened to be missing at quite an inconvenient time. Levi's keen eyes made a quick scan around the room, but he saw no sign of the missing four members of the kitchen staff. He sighed to himself, both in frustration and amusement.

_The dolt should be able to handle himself for now..._

Levi sauntered towards his usual spot, tying and fixing the white cloth around his neck as he went, passing by the coffee counter. Soon enough, Boss Hanji would be standing behind that counter, serving up pastries and preparing beverage after beverage like there was no tomorrow. She would do this all while greeting the customers and ultimately playing receptionist. Of course, her cheerful demeanor and open personality made this job natural to her, and even when it got hectic, she never failed to deliver the most genuine smiles. It was amazing how well she could keep up. Once a few hours someone would switch out for her, but it was usually her diligence that kept the coffee counter and ultimately the whole place running for the entire day. And usually, after that very long day of brewing coffee, preparing lattés, dressing mochas and other tedious caffeine-related activities, Hanji's hands would be stained with the faintest smell of coffee. After so many years of working in the same spot, Levi was sure that the aroma had become permanent at this point, and even when he was outside with Hanji, he could sense the slightest scent of the familiar brew.

As Levi passed through the public area of the place, heads turned and whispers evoked as he walked by the tables. At the beginning, a very long time ago, he had felt a bit flustered by this unusual attention. Now, it had become an event as routinely as buttoning up his shirt or polishing his shoes. He walked past coldly and proudly without even the slightest acknowledgement in their direction.

As he approached his usual table, he noticed that there was already a customer waiting for him. A young girl with black hair tied in pigtails and eyes to match. Behind his table were Ymir and Christa, who were already quite occupied sharing playful banter with a rather large group of boys and girls. Across from his table, even Jean was seated with a pair of charming young ladies, who (surprisingly) seemed quite smitten with the young man as they sipped delicately out of their dainty coffee cups. 

Levi pulled on the cravat around his neck one last time, fastening it into place.

_5:00 p.m._

Without his customer noticing, Levi approached her from behind and took his seat across from her. She jumped a little when she finally realized he was there. Her eyes peered shyly upwards through her dark bangs, as if she unable to believe he was actually there in front of her. It took a moment before she was finally able to utter barely audible words:

"N-nice to meet you...Levi-san."

Without even the slightest smirk, Levi crossed one of his legs over another and stretched his left arm over the back of his seat as he always did. He gazed deeply into her black eyes with his own grey ones, evoking a slightly pink expression in the younger girl. Not once changing his expression, he reached over towards her shaking hands and touched them gently with his own right hand. It was the faintest touch, yet it elicited the flustered response he expected. He opened his mouth to speak, noticing the expectancy on her rouged face.

"Welcome to The Titan Host Club. How may I be of service today, little miss~?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First Shingeki/Ereri fic! I'll try my best ^^  
> Thank you~!
> 
> Honestly I never thought I'd be writing something like this, and it's still the weirdest idea in my mind but hopefully it works out XD
> 
> I apologize for any spelling errors or grammar beforehand, though admittedly this will be one of the few fics which I will try to edit carefully beforehand. :)  
> Any ideas or recommendations are greatly appreciated.  
> Thanks again!


	2. newbies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A fresh host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> It's time to meet our two potential recruits~! ♥
> 
> Please offer them the kindest welcomes!

"L-Levi-sama..."

The composed host removed his hand and leaned back into his seat once again, tormenting the poor girl's eagerness.

"What brings you here this evening?" he spoke calmly.

"Um...well..."

It was clear that the girl was doing everything she could to refrain from fidgeting in the presence of the captivating man, and Levi noticed that her eyes keep shifting back and forth, undoubtedly to steal glances at him in his smart attire. And frankly, no one could blame her. He seemed effortlessly alluring in his attire; the way his vest impeccably wrapped around his waist, the way his overcoat swayed freely from his shoulders...it should've been so ordinary, yet somehow, he made it look extraordinary. His white cravat was the definite point in his attire, a simple yet refined accesory contrasting the sharpess of his face. As he leaned forward, the double-winged symbol of the Host Club glinted as a pin his chest, emitting a subtle blue and silver glow. Though his hair appeared to lack supplemental care, the black strands always seemed to fall perfectly after he ran his fingers through his hair.

Levi studied the girl carefully through his cynical eyes. Short black pigtails covering a comfy brown jacket, worn over a casual pink dress. Cute, youthful and timid...yet typical, just as he'd seen so many times before.

He merely sat there, leaning back lazily in his seat, his eyes boring into her, almost pressuring her to respond. No encouraging smile. No light-hearted words. Just him and his candid self. Earlier he had tempted her with a shallow preview of what she expected him to offer, and he knew she would be wanting more.

And it wasn't long before she gave in.

"Um...I'm very happy to see you, Levi-san," she said. "I-I just needed some company for the evening." He said nothing, waiting for her to continue.

To his surprise, she averted her gaze, her eyes clouded with a sudden anguish, though the embarassed expression on her face remained.

"To be honest, there's this guy I like a whole lot!" she blurted. If Levi was taken aback, he did not show it. "For a while, I'm sure he felt the same...but recently, I think he likes someone else. As the days go by, I get more and more heartbroken whenever I see him enjoying himself so much with her. I had no choice but to seek refuge to you Levi-sama!"

Suddenly, she stood up in haste, her hands slamming down onto the table and her face leaning towards Levi. At this point, he had no choice but to react, subtly leaning back to distance himself from her.

"Help me, Levi-sama!" she squealed desparately, her face the same shade as the rose in the flower centerpiece. "I've heard from countless people that you have the ability to cure any person's broken heart! Please help me! You are my only hope!"

Now Levi found that he was definitely taken aback. She had gone from a timid, awkward damsel to a ballistic, grief-stricken young lady in a heartbeat. To any other man, it probably would've been a terrifying transition.

But fortunately for Levi, after so many years of experience, it was nothing he hadn't seen before.

He tilted his head slowly without uttering a word, as if he were studying her carefully. The subtle action allowed her to reflect on her actions for a moment, letting her consider whether or not they were truly shameful. However, she did not pull back, allowing Levi to commence with techniques so natural to him.

"I'm sorry," he spoke. "But who on _earth_ do you think you are?"

The girl stiffened, unable to register his words. _What did he just say?_

"I said, who do you think you are?" Of course, he could read her thoughts. "To go around being dissapointed by other people's happiness simply because your own remains unsatisfied?" It was as if frost was formed in the air as he spoke, due to the coldness of his tone.

The girl's widened eyes quivered, her expression frozen. "L-Levi-sama..." She fell stiffly back into her seat, her eyes still glued to Levi's.

"What were you hoping I would do?" Levi continued. "For me to comfort you and tell you how fine you already are on your own? Something along the lines of 'there's no way he wouldn't like a cute girl like you'? Now, that would be no different from what others have already told you, would it? I would become repetitive...and plain. You've already heard that you're perfectly decent, that you're more than capable...but really, it's all useless if you can't even believe it yourself."

She was now staring down at her feet, unable to look up due to the impact of his harsh words. Levi unfolded his legs and leaned forward onto the table, resting on his elbow as he attempted to make eye contact once again.

"Tell me," said Levi. "Have you even _tried_ confessing to him before?"

The girl was silent.

Levi snorted. "That's what I thought. He never even belonged to you in the first place.  Neither of you really knew what the hell was going on. How pathetic. And you dare go running around asking for help when you don't even know what's going on."

Levi noticed that her bangs had fallen in front of her face, shielding her eyes from his. Her shoulders were quivering unstably, and he wondered how much longer she could hold on.

He reached forwards with his right hand and pushed her chin upwards gently, forcing her to look into his eyes. Sure enough, there were tears leaking out of her eyes as she stared defiantly at him.

"What is your name, little miss?" Levi purred slowly, leaning even closer to her, still remaining expressionless.

She found that she could not move from his beguiling gaze. "M-Mina..."

"Miss Mina..." Levi repeated, his voice barely a whisper. It sent chills down her back. He tilted his head, moving himself yet closer to her. She forced her eyes shut, no longer able to handle Levi's intense actions.

"Are you afraid of him?" Levi spoke. Mina gasped as she felt his breath on her lips. _Too dangerous..._

Regardless, she remained focussed enough to answer the question. "N-No! I love him!"

"Then why don't you just tell him? Tell him exactly everything you've told me so far?" Levi slurred, his voice slowly become manipulative.

"I-I can't!"

"Why not?"

Mina finally found the strength to push Levi away, the both of them collapsing into their seats.

"Because he might reject me! And I can't imagine a world without him by my side!" she cried out.

Levi reached his hand to his neck and started loosening his cravat. Mina couldn't help but stare.

"Well, Mina, rejection couldn't possibly be any worse than what you're feeling right now, could it?" Levi stated.

"W-what?"

"Everyday your chest hurts when you think of him," he speculated. "And when other people comfort you, you push them away, and you end up thinking miserably about yourself, always thinking you're not good enough for him. You compare yourself to others, wondering how to change yourself, even willing to become someone that you're not, just to impress him. Tell me, is that anyway to live? You say you're not afraid of him, yet instead you're afraid of his rejection. How is that any better?"

Mina opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again when she realized Levi was not finished.

"Confess to him. Get it over with. And even if he does reject you, at least you can move on and stop lingering on an expectation that can never become reality." Levi's words were just as blunt as before, but for some reason, they now exuded a sort of compassion, as if he actually cared for Mina's well-being.

The young girl's facial expression suddenly softened.

Levi sighed. He suddenly leaned forwards again and brushed her cheek gently with his hand, pushing her dark locks away from her face. Mina gasped at the sudden contact.

"Excuse me for being cliché, Miss Mina," Levi said, his voice smooth as honey. "But please allow me to be repetitive and plain for a moment: you are indeed a very cute, young girl."

Mina's face suddenly returned to the colour it had been when she had first laid eyes on Levi.

"L...Levi-sama..." she uttered.

But Levi wasn't done.

"Not only that, you also seem to be quite bold and vivacious, and your personality shines brightly even in the presence of a dull person like myself. You are passionate and loyal, and if this lucky boy of yours chooses to reject such a woman, it would be quite a heavy loss on his behalf. Mark my words when I say he would eventually regret his decision, as no one could ever love him so whole-heartedly as you would. Believe me when I say, you would be the ideal lover of many men. Losing him would definitely not mean the end of your life."

Levi took her right hand in his and pulled it up to his lips. Gently, he closed his eyes and placed a chaste kiss on the back of her hand, causing her to turn at least twenty shades redder than before.

When he noticed he had rendered her speechless, Levi stood up slowly and brushed out the sleeves of suit.

"Do you like strawberries?" he asked suddenly.

Mina nodded slowly, though she was clearly still in a slight daze from Levi's bold actions.

"Then please, Miss Mina, allow me to be excused for a moment."

"Uh huh..." Mina drawled stupidly as she clutched her right hand protectively in her left, staring straight ahead.

Levi fixed his cravat again, as if it were a habitual thing. As he turned his back, he heard Mina calling out after him.

"Levi! Thank you!"

Levi headed towards the coffee counter, where Hanji was busy making some hot chocolates. He swiftly walked behind the counter and went over to the desserts table, brushing Hanji as he passed by.

"So, what was that drama all about?" Hanji asked without looking up, as she stirred the mugs.

"Oh? You noticed?" Levi muttered as he grabbed a plate and a fork from below the counter.

"Of course I noticed, who would've thought a shortie like you could cause so much chaos?"

"Watch it."

"That's a bad omen, considering it's your first customer of the evening. Not to mention you forgot your cravat this morning: something you never do. It's going to be a baaaaad day for you."

"What are you, some sort of fortune-telling witch?

"You know, maybe you should drop that whole candid act some time and sugarcoat things a bit more like the other hosts do," Hanji suggested as she skillfully topped the hot chocolate with some delectable whipped cream. "I'm sure if the customers all knew what a an obssesive clean freak you really are, their admiration would dissolve in an instant."

"Why should I change?" Levi pulled out a tempting looking slice of pink cake and carefully placed it onto the plate.

Hanji scoffed at the plain comment. "Opportunities for change should never been taken for granted."

"Well be sure to tell me when one comes knocking, because I haven't seen a good yet."

"So pessimistic."

"You act as if that's a new thing."

Hanji rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you keep up with that rotten attitude. I hope you'll grow old faster than everyone else." She patted some chocolate powder onto the whipped cream and carried the cups to the front.

"TWO MEDIUM HOT CHOCOLATES!" she called, as two boys ran up to snatch them from the counter. She wiped her hands on the towel near the front counter and immediately turned back to grab a larger mug to prepare a latte for the next order. "Shouldn't you hurry back? Your little lady is probably getting anxious by now."

"I don't need you to tell me that," Levi snapped. Closing the display case and grabbing some napkins from the side. "Oh, by the way, have you seen any of the kitchen slackers around?

"No, why?"

"Mike's kind of alone in the kitchen."

"Oh. That's awkward."

"You sound so concerned."

Hanji waved a hand dismissively as she poured some milk into her cup with her other hand. "He'll figure it out...unless you want to wear a cute apron and go help him."

" _Tch._ " An annoyed Levi marched his way past the eccentric boss lady and back to the table where his guest was awaiting him. Mina's face practically shone as she saw her host return.

"Levi-sama!"

Levi placed the enticing slice of strawberry cake on the table and set the napkin and fork neatly beside. Mina's eyes glowed as she eyed the pink slice of cake covered with enticing white icing. It was decorated by finely sliced pieces of strawberry fruit and intricate patterns of white and pink icing.

"A delicious treat for our lovely lady. Please enjoy!" Levi announced in his host voice that he had perfected over the past years. Mina beamed as she did not hesitate to dig in, savouring the delicious flavour as it entered her mouth. A bright smile was now present on her face, and she had become much more comfortable unlike before. Levi instantly knew that the rest of his time with Mina was going to be a lot more refreshing as of then.

When it was finally time to bid their goodbyes, Mina bowed politely and thanked Levi for all that he had done for her that day. He saw her to the door, and her smile remained as she left the doors. When he had finally dissapeared, Mina sighed to herself and looked up at the host club's sign. The words "THE TITAN HOST CLUB" was scrawled in big, fancy white letters, with their signature blue & white winged insignia over top.

She never thought a host club could create such an enjoyable experience for herself. She had gone only expecting for some temporary dismissal of her broken heart as she lost herself in a surreal world, but instead she received so much more than that. She had even managed playful conversations with some of the other hosts, and they were all very delightful people. More than anything, she knew she would definitely take Levi's advice, and push forwards with no regrets.

As Mina glanced at the sign one last time, she wondered how she was going to manage her time to become a regular at this remarkable place.

 

* * *

 

  
The next hour and a half of the evening went by relatively well.

After Mina, Levi had the pleasure of entertaining several individuals, one after another. It certainly was a great variety of people (as customers of Levi always happened to be), but none of them required the mental capacity that Levi had exerted with Mina.

As for Ymir and Christa, they fortunately remained together for that period of time, their duo hosting usually appealing to large groups of people at once due to Ymir's outgoing and brusque nature contrasting with Christa's angelic and pristine character. They could literally entertain for hours on end without boring their customers, and always did their best work together.

Even Jean managed to have a decent time, despite his earlier lack of his enthusiasm. After the two frivolous ladies, he managed to attract a few more customers much to his ego's content, allowing him to cast several smug look in Ymir's directions several times thoughout. She merely rolled her eyes back at him each time.

At last, the hands of the clock, this time in the shape of a black bunny, moved to mark the arrival of 6:30 p.m. Levi breathed a sigh of relief as he realized it was finally his turn to enjoy a much appreciated break. As much as he enjoyed his job, some days it became repetitive, almost to the point where he felt as if he was more of a therapist than a host.

And unfortunately for him, today happened to be one of those days.

Without hesitation, he leaped up from the seat that he had pretty much been glued to for the past hour and a half and headed inside after making sure Hanji knew.

As soon as he was behind the doors, he pulled off his cravat in a swift motion, tucking it suavely into his inner pocket. He unbuttoned the top of the stuffy collar of his white shirt, and fell back onto the comfy couch, his hair plastering his face as he let out a relieved sigh. This was his thirty minutes, and he was definitely going to cherish every second of it. He fell prey to the heaviness in his eyes as he remembered how late he had stayed up last night, busy doing some paperwork that Hanji had heartlessly shoved onto him. He let himself drift away, slowly...gently...falling into the the softness of the pillows surrounding him...breathing slowly...

"OIIIIIIIII~! YOU SHITTY BASTARD! GET THE _HELL_ BACK HERE BEFORE I PUMMEL YOUR UGLY-ASS FACE INTO THE BACK OF YOUR DAMN SKULL!"

Levi's eyes flashed opened furiously at the vulgar noise coming from outside the window.

 _Oh believe me...someone's ass is definitely getting_ _pummeled if I have to get up from this couch._

Levi took a deep breath, deciding to give it another chance. It wasn't often that he heard language like that around this area...except coming from Levi's own mouth, of course. But as always, he was a special exception for everything.

He waited a few seconds, bracing himself, before letting himself relax again. He felt his body melt into the soft cushions, and it just felt so good. He tilted his head over and rested on the couch, his lips parting as his breathing started to deepen. Finally, there was peace and tranquility, and he could fade away into his own comfy wor—

"OOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII~! YOU SHITTY DICKFAAAAAAAAAAAACE!!! ARE YOU A SHITTY COWARD TOOOOO?! COME SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT, ASSHOLE!"

Levi nearly fell over as he jumped to his feet with a defiance that was pretty damn horrifying. His gaze darkened with a murderous intent. He threw down his jacket on the couch, rolled up his sleeves, and walked back out to the shop area, ready to teach this obnoxious bastard a lesson.

Levi burst the doors open as he stepped into the public area, his menacing aura seemed to fill the entire room. He probably could've killed anyone by just looking at them in that moment. Everyone froze in terror and even Hanji nearly screamed as she dropped the mug she was holding into the ground, smashing it into pieces.  Ymir held Christa protectively while Jean hid behind one of the tables.

No one dared to move an inch as they watched the host walk in ferocious steps.

However, Hanji became the bravest and boldest of them all:

"Umm...errr...where are you going?" she managed to say.

Levi froze right in front of the door. Everyone tensed up as they felt the dreaded seconds pass by, anticipating his next action.

Suddenly, Levi tilted his head backwards, just so they could see his eyes.

What they saw was so horrifying that all the customers yelped in fright. Christa nearly cried (even in Ymir's arms), while Jean passed out next to them. Hanji surprised everyone as she grabbed a knife from somewhere underneath her coffee counter and held it protectively in front of her chest , her arms shaking and her eyes completely covered by the shine in her glasses.

"None of your business," Levi responded in a disturbing tone, as he dissapeared out the door.

Without looking back, Levi headed out from The Titan Host Club and walked towards the corner of the building. This led to another road, where the window of the break room had been located and more importantly, where he would find that rascal who had dared to interrupt in his few minutes of sleep _._ Levi gritted his teeth and rummaged his fingers through his hair, so ready to release all of the pent up stress and anger that was consumed inside of him with this opportunity.

As he turned the corner eagerly with sadistic thoughts in his mind, Levi stopped in his tracks as he realized the reality was not at all as he imagined.

First of all, there was no gruff, annoying hobo like he expected, but rather the presence two teenagers.

And it looked as if they were embracing.

 _"S-stop it...stop being so aggressive..."_ one of them was groaning.

But fortunately, Levi's eyes quickly adjusted to the evening light. It didn't take long for him to realize that the blonde one was actually trying to hold back the dark-haired one.

"LEMME GO, DAMMIT! LET ME WRING THAT BASTARD BY HIS NECK AND GIVE HIM A PIECE OF MY MIND!"

Well, at least now he knew who the loudmouth was.

His shoes clicked on the stone surface of the path as he approached the two. At first, he had thought that one of them was a girl due to the well-tamed and chin-length fair hair, but it turned out they were both boys after closer inspection. It took the boy awhile to realize that a stranger was approaching them, but he immediately froze when he saw Levi standing there.

"Umm...can we help you?" the blonde one stuttered after much hesitation, still tightly gripping onto his struggling friend's arms.

Levi kept his signature expression (or lack thereof) and walked slowly, casually, towards them, as if he were merely out for a stroll. The dark-haired boy had finally noticed him, and turned to him with a maniac glare.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" he screamed. "ARE YOU WITH HIM?! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"

"Eren, stop, you don't even know who—"

The boy grunted loudly as he wrenched his arms free from his flustered friend, suddenly launching himself straight at Levi, his arm drawn backwards, readying himself for an impacting punch.

"QUIT STARING AT ME, YOU MIDGET CREEP!" he howled.

"Eren! Stop—!" his friend called after him. But it was much too late.

The fair-haired boy watched in horror as the strange man dodged what would have been an overwhelming blow. His eyes widened as he realized that, in the blink of an eye, the man had socked his friend directly in the gut. An choking gasp sounded from the boy's mouth as he stumbled backwards, coughing and stuttering at the devastating hit.

"Y...you bastard..."

But Levi wasn't done.

The man maneuvered with admirable agility as he dodged yet another irresolute strike, somehow ending up behind the boy. In an instant, he jabbed into the back of the kid sharply with the heel of his shoe and kicked him forwards brutally, forcing him to the fall to the ground. It was almost pitiful, as Levi relentlessly pushed his foot into the boy's back, pinning him into the ground.

"EREN!" his friend screamed as he stumbled towards them with teary eyes. Levi held him flattened on the ground,watching the boy struggle as he breathed harshly.

"Don't come any closer," Levi commanded, with strict authority in his voice. The boy stopped in his tracks. Levi poked his foot playfully into his victim's back. "I need to teach this moron a lesson and I suggest you stay back if you don't want to get hurt as well."

The boy hesitated, but finally stepped backwards realizing that there was indeed nothing he could do against such a formidable opponent.

Levi snorted, averting his attention back to the boy beneath his feet. Much to Levi's surprise, he was still struggling, writhing and clawing at him beneath his foot, desparate to get out of such a shameful position.

Without mercy, Levi stomped his foot harshly into the boy's back, causing him to howl in sharp pain and his friend to echo his cries.

"That, was for calling me a midget," Levi said calmly. "You should know better than to address people older than you like that, you disgraceful kid."

He stepped down once again. Harder. The boy witnessing was almost in tears at this point.

"And that, was for running your mouth off so obnoxiously in such a tranquille place in town," Levi continued. "There are customers who come here to relax and get their mind off things. No one needs to hear such rotten language expressed so publically in this area, especially if they're someone trying to catch up on some sleep during their breaktime, you _brat_."

He dug his heel viciously into the adolescent skin with every word, twisting and pressing grimly as the kid cried out from beneath.

Suddenly, Levi felt his arm being grabbed from behind. He turned to see that the kid's friend was holding onto his arms, tears spewing out uncontrollably from his eyes.

"Please..." he spluttered. "I beg of you. Please don't hurt him. He knows he's wrong. Just let him go. He was just trying to protect someone."

Levi's foot recoiled almost immediately, as Eren rolled out from beneath, catching his breath and holding his chest in relief.

"What?" Levi inquired to the statement.

The blonde boy wiped his tears with his white sleeve before answering.

"There was a woman being harassed when we walked by," he spoke slowly. "A man was trying to force her to do something and she was definitely resisting. When my friend heard he instinctively ran over to try and save her. He managed to get a few hits on the man before he ran away, and when we chased after him we somehow ended up...here..." It was as if he shrivelled away after uttering his last sentence, clearing intimidated by Levi's presence.

Levi pondered how to address this situation, now that he realized it was different from what he imagined. Heaving a sigh, he walked over to dark-haired boy. HIs eyes widened with an unexpected fragility as Levi grabbed him by the scruff of his collar. Despite the fragility, there was still an unspoken rebelliousness as Levi stared into the his green eyes, an element that he did not want to challenge at this point.

"What's your name, boy?" Levi growled softly.

"E-Eren..." the boy stuttered a response. "E-Eren Jaeger..."

"And your friend?"

"Armin..."

Levi noticed the boy was trying to read his expression, wanting to know what he wished to gain by knowing their names.

"Well, _Eren_. I see you have a rather legitimate reason. I think it would be reasonable for me to let you go this time, don't you think?" Levi asked.

"Do as you see fit," Eren grimaced, clearly not thinking about what would be the best answer.

Levi was about to respond when the blonde boy, known as Armin, jumped in between them and forced them apart. He clamped one of his hands onto Eren's mouth, forcing him to keep quiet despite his objections.

"T-Thank you, kind sir," Armin stuttered quickly. "My friend Eren has learned his lesson and will remember this from here on out." He bowed graciously in front of the man, his hand still on Eren's face. "We are very grateful and we will not repeat the same actions, sir...um...er..."

"It's Levi," the man sighed, realizing he was finally tired of this game.

Armin bowed even deeper, clearly not minding how out of place and awkward he looked with one hand still on his friend's mouth. _What refined manners_ , Levi thought. 

"Thank you, Levi, sir, and we shall be quick to get out of your sights—"

"WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED." A new voice sounded suddenly. 

The three turned around to see a woman standing by the entrance to the alleyway, a woman wearing a forest green apron with her brown hair tied up in a ponytail.

"Oh shit, not Hanji," Levi cursed under his breath. Armin threw a casual side glance at the man who had just made a big deal out of public swearing.

Sure enough, there she was, heading towards them with a blazing expression as she scanned the scene: there was blonde kid who looked as he had just pooped in his pants, a dark-haired kid who was bruised and battered in all sorts of places, and finally a member of her own Host Club with his sleeves rolled up, his collar unbuttoned and his attire as whole looking quite disheveled.

She threw dagger glares at Levi. "Tell me. What the _heck_ did you just do?"

"Nothing. I was merely teaching this kid a lesson for creating a ruckus while I was trying to sleep," Levi replied calmly.

Hanji scanned the boy up and down. "So you beat him up?"

"He deserved it. You should've heard the shit that was coming out of his mouth."

"So you _beat the crap out of him_?"

"For good reason too: at least there's no shit left in him now. I'm sure you would've done the same."

At this point, Hanji could only throw him a deadpan expression before walking over to carefully check Eren's condition. Even without touching him she could see the bruises on his face and arm, as well as his awkward posture as he did his best to stand up straight.

She turned back to Levi, her mouth hanging open. "What did you _do_ to him?"

"I kind of stepped on him."

"You—WHAT?!—I—You—" Hanji took a deep breath in attempt to keep her cool. _Goddammit Levi._ She reached out and gently touched Eren on the arm, who immediately flinched.

"Great, now look what you've done, the kid is traumatized," Hanji sighed. "I can't believe you did this just because he was being a little noisy."

"First of all, it wasn't a little. Second of all, I was trying to sleep and this kid was yelling profanities in my ear."

"You could've gone easy on him!"

"Not when I'm sleep deprived."

Hanji glared at him. "You're a savage. Please, just do us all a favour and go back inside and get yourself cleaned up. Your break's almost over." Levi said nothing and strolled away, surprisingly obedient. That left Hanji alone with the two teenagers in the alleyway.

Armin spoke up. "Um...excuse me for interrupting but do you know where we could find the nearest emergency care centre, then?"

Hanji sighed. "As an apology for my employee's uncalled for behaviour, let me just take you into our shop. We have someone there who can heal you up just fine, no need for the extra inconvenience of heading to the doctor's office. I don't think the bruises should be too, too bad. Also, I'll treat you to something in there as an extra bonus. Sound good?"

Much to Eren's dismay, Armin seemed ecstatic, looking at Hanji as if she was a saviour of some sort.

"Do we have to freeload off the guy who just beat me up?" Eren groaned quietly to Armin as Hanji turned her back.

"Be quiet! It's clearly the best option we have right now. Where do you think you're going to go in such a state? We're lucky she decided to take us in," Armin whispered back, as they preceded to follow the strange woman.

"Speaking of which," Hanji spoke up suddenly. "Are you two not from this area or something? Asking for directions and such?"

"Yes, we actually came here to look for some jobs. It's a rather formal place actually, so I'm glad you decided to help us because Eren can't exactly show up looking like that. They'd reject us in a heartbeat."

"Really? Where are you headed to? Perhaps I could show the way afterwards."

This time Eren spoke up, or rather tried to without inflicting too much pain on himself.

"It's at a place called The Titan Host Club."

Hanji froze in her steps.

"Oh."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thanks for the encouraging support so far!  
> I hope you keep reading and there will be more fun to come now that Eren's involved. I know it's a bit slow but I'm just going along with it so let's see what happens ^^  
> I promise more hosting fun to come
> 
> Thanks again! And please anticipate more thorough character introductions in the next update! ^^ ♥


	3. formal introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A diverse host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> Don't be afraid to ask your hosts to formally introduce themselves!
> 
> The simple gesture shall only tighten the bond of your acquaintance~♥

" _Oh my god._ You actually beat the shit out of our new employees?"

Ymir fell backwards onto the couch and cackled gleefully, kicking her legs in the air like a little kid. They were all once again in the break room, as the scarcity of customers finally allowed for a moment of conversation. Levi merely averted his gaze away from Hanji, as she glared viciously at him. It had been an hour or so since the incident. Christa merely looked on in concern as she continued watching over Jean, who was still unconscious and leaning limply on the edge of the couch.

"Not only did this monstrosity of a human hurt the cute little boy until he could barely walk but he _also_ scared the living crap out of _all of our customers_ ," Hanji lamented. She threw her hands up in defeat. "Do you even know how hard I worked to earn all those customers? How many lattes I had to dress into perfection? How many patches of skin I had to burn while pouring hot water? And now, they're probably never going to return again because one of my hosts decided to run out in _improper attire_ and show them _THE MOST TERRIFYING SIGHT OF THEIR LIVES_."

"Yeah, even I thought that was a little bit uncalled for," Ymir added pointlessly. She leaned back casually and crossed her legs, still looking at Levi. "Well, at least now I know not to wake you up when you're sleeping. Wouldn't want to suffer the wrath of Levi insoles stabbing into my back." She snickered viciously once again, earning yet another death glare from Levi.

"Oh come on, you guys, stop teasing him," Christa piped up. "What's done is done. He can't go back and undo his actions now. The point is, he feels sorry for what he did, so you can all stop mocking him and help the injured boys instead."

Ymir sat up. "Yeah, where are they anyways?"

"Petra's looking after them in one of the backrooms. I think the beat up boy is sleeping right now," Hanji replied. "Thankfully, it's not as bad as I thought. Turns out that kid managed to put up enough resistance and somehow prevented this insensitive brute from going all out on him."

"Hmph. That's interesting."

Hanji ran her eyes over Levi, who still hadn't said a word since they entered the room. He was still in the same dirtied, disheveled attire, having not changed. His expression seemed to be the epitome of sourness. She smirked.

"Feeling resentful, aren't you?" Hanji asked, receiving a half-assed grunt in reply.

"Go get changed," she said. "Our peak-time's approaching so you better be ready. Oh, and if you _dare_ show up in the parlour one more time without satisfying the dress code—"

"Stop ordering me around like such a simpleton," Levi grumbled.

"She _is_ technically your boss," Ymir shrugged. "Your superior."

"Yes, and technically I'm yours. And if I told you to shut your pie hole, would you do it?"

"Nope. And if I told you to shove Jean's foot up your—"

"Please just go get changed," Hanji interrupted, shoving Levi towards the door. "I don't need anymore casualties tonight, thank you very much." She gave him a harder push out the door, tossed a bag of clothes out the door, and closed it behind him before he could protest. Levi glared at the door as if he was trying to burn a hole in it.

 _Goddammit Hanji_.

Regardless, Levi skulked down the empty corridor, lined with doors after doors. As he walked past the kitchen, he managed to sneak a glance and saw that that three of the four missing kitchen staff members had returned, crowding around Mike and arguing about something.

He headed towards the usual room he used to change. It was more of a guest room than a change room: Hanji often used that room whenever she needed to stay for the night in the Host Club for various reasons. Somehow, he had grown accustomed to the open space and the crooked hooks which had always been a bit too high for his reach. He hated changing in the normal, cramped change rooms that the other hosts used: there barely seemed enough room for him to move, let only organize and arrange the clothes the way he wanted.

Finally, Levi went in and closed the wooden door behind him. He reached into the bag of clothes and pulled out the uniform Hanji had randomly thrown at him for the rest of the evening. Fortunately, she hadn't given him any type of weird cosplay outfit, and it was an exact copy of his usual black and white attire.

Sighing, he unbuttoned his disheveled vest and peeled his off his back. He then did the same to his white shirt which had barely been scathed with minor patches of dirt, remaining as evidence of his little scuffle. Even though they were only visible up close and would mostly be covered by his jacket anyways, it conflicted with Hanji's dress code, and unfortunately _strict_ was an extreme understatement of how Hanji felt about her dress code. Although Levi himself did feel that those slight stains were quite burdensome.

He peeled the shirt off his back and carefully put it next to his vest. He picked up the black vest and folded it neatly, and then doing the same with the white shirt, putting it atop the vest in a neat pile.

He reached down to unbutton his pants when he suddenly heard a noise behind him.

It was a cough.

"Uhhh..." a voice sounded.

Levi whirled around in a panicked motion, startled by the sudden voice.

His eyes widened as he saw the source of the voice.

Turns out, Hanji had decided to use _this_ room to accommodate the patient, and Levi found himself staring into the green eyes of a _very_ familiar boy who was looking quite flustered with himself. He had sat up on the bed, and Levi noticed that he too was not wearing a shirt, with bandages wrapped around his chest and parts of his arm.

"Um...I'm...uh...I'm...sorry?" the boy stuttered, looking vulnerably petrified."I...I...just woke up...I fell asleep for a bit."

Levi could only stare back at the boy, frozen and speechless in disbelief that he had somehow ended up in this awkward predicament. _Him_ , of all people.

"Um...Levi?"

Levi felt a cold snake slither down his back.

_How the hell does he know my name?_

 

* * *

 

Hanji had arranged for the store to be closed for a half an hour. It would allow her enough time to prepare for their peak hour as well as settle the chaotic situation at hand. The entire crew had gathered in their makeshift meeting room, which was basically a modestly decorated room next to the kitchen, only having an old, large dining table and several chairs surrounding it for furniture. Each seating had a glass of water and a napkin, set up for the comfort of its staff members. Even Armin was present, though looking quite vulnerable as he was sitting alone in a room filled with intimidating strangers without his buddy beside him.

"Where the _hell_ are Marco, Reiner and Annie?" Hanji groaned as she paced anxiously back and forth, glancing at the duck-shaped clock. "They're over half an hour late at this point."

"Why don't we just start the meeting without them?" Jean complained, his feet propped up on the table.

"Even someone as dense as you should be able to recognize that this meeting calls from the implementation of several impacting changes, considering I even dragged the kitchen staff out here," Hanji said, gesturing towards a group of five people wearing aprons sitting in a row across from the hosts. An older man within the bunch scrunched up his face in annoyance. "I need as many people as possible."

"Hey! Don't speak of us as if we're insignificant!" he yelled. "We keep this place running after all!"

"I didn't mean it like that," Hanji said calmly.

" _Tch_. If I hear you speaking about me like that one more time I swear I'm going to—" It seemed as if he had a lot more to say, but fortunately the pretty-faced woman sitting beside him managed to shush him and cause him to stop obediently.

All of a sudden, the door to the room opened and three considerably attractive individuals sauntered into the the room, fully dressed in their black and white attire.

Hanji sighed as she slumped back down to her seat. "Finally..."

"Marco!" Jean stood up and waved gleefully as a black-haired, freckle-faced young man walked over to sit beside him.

"About time you showed up, you lazy slackers," Ymir looked up from her phone."You're over half an hour late, what gives?"

The only female within the new arrivals was a sharp blonde with a cold look in her eyes. She turned a cold shoulder towards Ymir and took a seat beside Christa, not saying a word.

Ymir straightened from her seat, scowling. "Hey, Annie, what's with the attitude?"

"Don't blame her," the muscular blonde spoke up as he took a seat on the other side of Marco. "We had to sit through a damned traffic jam for over an hour because some idiot decided to speed and cause this huge collision."

"Ah, so I've heard," Ymir responded apathetically, as she turned back to her phone. "What's up with you today, Reiner? You seem gloomy."

He rolled his eyes at Ymir's bluntness. "Let me see _you_ be happy after you have to sit in a car with the Ice Queen and the Cordial Arbitrator for two hours. I am _never_ driving anyone to work ever again."

"How did you guys get changed so quickly?" Christa inquired.

 Marco shrugged. "The ride was taking too long so we figured we'd saved some time and get changed on the way here."

Jean spat out the water he was drinking. Ymir yelped in disgust, as Jean turned to face Marco, his face beet red.

"You...you changed together with REINER AND ANNIE IN THE CAR?!" he nearly screamed.

It was then Annie's turn to do a spit-take, though it was certainly a lot more refined than Jean's as it was more of a little dribble. She covered it up quickly with a napkin.

"You perverted fool," she scowled at Jean. "We stopped by the side and quickly ran down to the gas station to use the washrooms. When we came back the traffic had barely moved an inch anyway."

Jean looked confused for a moment, as the red flush slowly started to fade from his face. When he finally understood, an immense relief spread over his face.

Marco uttered a sheepish laugh at Jean's behaviour. "Are you alright, Jean?"

Jean merely sank into his chair with an extremely peaceful look. "Everything's great...just great."

"Okay, losers, can we get started with the meeting now?" Ymir spoke up, slamming her hand on the table. "I've wasted enough of my life, can we get a move on now?"

Hanji sighed as she opened her mouth to speak, however closed it again when as she scanned the room.

"Wait a minute...we're still missing someone," she said slowly. The members starting turning their heads around the room, attempting to pinpoint who exactly it was that was still missing.

Suddenly, Christa piped up. "It's Levi! Levi's missing!"

An outburst erupted from the table, much to a very confused Armin's dismay.

"WHAT?! LEVI?! WHEN IS THAT MIDGET EVER LATE?!" Jean yelled.

"I feel so uneasy all of a sudden..." Annie muttered.

"Oh no, is he okay? I wonder if something is wrong?" Marco whispered in concern.

"I'm sure he's fine," Christa said. "I mean, Hanji sent him to go change but..."

"He usually takes like two minutes to change though," Reiner pointed out.

"Ohhh...shit's about to go down. Old Levi is late," Ymir leered. "What next? We find out that Jean is actually popular with the ladies?"

"HEY!"

"Umm....excuse me..." a quiet voice suddenly sounded. All heads turned to the corner where the new blonde boy was seated, an excessively nervous expression on his face.

Reiner smirked. "Who's the new kid? He's cute. He could totally pull of the chibi appeal."

"Shush!" Annie scolded.

Armin hesitated at the sudden attention, but then spoke slowly.

"Um...if you don't mind me asking...what happened to Eren?"

A cold breeze suddenly floated through the room.

Hanji was the first to break silence.

"SHIT! HE'S PROBABLY WITH THE KID RIGHT NOW! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!" She grabbed her head with both her hands and started running around panicking.

"Don't tell me he's been beating up the little shit all this time," Ymir mused.

"Um...who?" Marco, Jean, Reiner and Annie spoke simultaneously.

"Oh no, Hanji, you better go find them," Christa said concernedly. "It would be bad if..."

Hanji jumped up from her seat. "I swear, if he does anything to—"

There was the sound of the door opening and everyone's heads turned to look towards that direction.

"Sorry, I'm late. There was something...I had to deal with."

Levi sauntered into the room, looking more flustered than normal as he fidgeted with his cravat and adjusted his clothes with a kind of uneasiness that he seldom exhibited. The stares became more intense as they noticed that it was no one other than Eren who followed the man in, both males looking quite tense for some apparent reason. What was even more surprising was that their steps were completely in sync as Eren obediently followed Levi over to two adjacent chairs, one next to Armin and the other next to Annie, sitting down accordingly. Levi cleared his throat awkwardly as he brushed his chair before sitting down, and finally taking a sip of the water as he sat down. Eren noticed that everyone looked quite terrified for some reason.

"Um...what the hell did you do?" Hanji spoke.

Levi glared back at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're late."

"Contrary to popular belief, Hanji, I'm actually not perfect."

"But—"

"Start the meeting, won't you? We've all wasted enough time being gathered here."

Hanji shook her head. She cleared her throat and regained everyone's attention, choosing to ignore the huge cloud of awkwardness which seemed to casually float through the room.

"As some of you may have recognized, we have two new faces at the table." There was an impressive new tone in Hanji's voice. She gestured towards Eren and Armin. "They came here to apply for positions as hosts at The Titan Host Club. I figured since they both look and act the part pretty well on a first impression, they would be valuable additions to the team." Eren and Armin's heads perked up as they broke out into broke smiles, shooting congratulatory glances at each other.

"Hmm...you're right, they're both pretty cute," Ymir teased, much to the two's discomfort. "Hey, put these two in and we'll be floating in customers. We don't really have anyone with the cute appeal yet so they'll perfect." Murmurs of agreement sounded across the table, with the exception of Levi. Eren dared to take side glances at the man in an attempt to read his views on the suggestion, but of course, he got nothing.

"Oh, I understand now! That's why you had so much confidence in them earlier!" Christa said.

"With the right amount of training they should be great at their job," Reiner muttered.

"Hmm...I must admit you've got a good eye, Hanji," Annie remarked. "Your intuition never fails."

"Slow down, I'm not done yet," Hanji interrupted the side conversations. "I said they would _work_ for us, but they're not going to be paid."

Eren and Armin's smiles froze on their faces.

"WHAT?!" came the outburst of several voices at once.

Hanji stood up and placed a hand on the table, smiling as she continued speaking:

"You see, because of these boys, I had to go through several moments of agony. If this little dork here hadn't been caught disrupting the mood of my own employee and creating a racket with such foul language outside, I wouldn't have had to suffer such a loss of customers. We had at least three-quarters of the room filled at the time and they all left without paying for their sessions, resulting in quite a hefty loss right there. In addition, consideration must also be given to the fact that _future_ sessions may also have been impacted, as I don't expect many of them to return too soon. Once you add up all the time already lost and potential time lost, multiply that by how much we charge per Hosting Session...I think you'll find it reasonable why you two are  _forced_ to work for free for us for awhile."

Eren and Armin definitely were not smiling anymore, or rather, they were sitting stiffly in their seats, taking in the words in disbelief. On the contrary, Jean's smile was only growing wider and wider by the second.

Levi shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Wait a minute, Hanji, how did you know he—"

But unfortunately, Hanji was not done talking.

"Oh, and another thing. They _will not_ be on Regular Host duty. That takes training as we all know and they will start by taking other duties, such as waiting on tables, playing receptionist, working the coffee counter, taking out the garbage and other support duties as such. The training will come later, once repercussions have been made and they have proven to be capable."

Eren and Armin's mouths hung wide open as Jean suddenly leaped up from his chair and gleefully punched his fist into the air.

"YES! NO MORE SLAVE DUTY FOR THE HOSTS WHO DON'T HAVE CUSTOMERS!" he cried joyously. "Not that I don't have customers of course..." He sank back into his seat with an immensely satisfied smile on his face.

At this point, it seemed as if Eren had had enough. He stood up and slammed his hand into the table defiantly, his other hand grabbing Armin.

"That's it! I've had enough of this bullcrap!" he bellowed. "I came here in hopes of finding an honest job but then you go around spewing nonsense crap like this. Who on Earth do you think you are to have someone working for you for free? Come on, Armin, let's get out of here!"

Armin looked worried as Eren dragged him out of his seat and started pulling him towards the door. "But Eren—"

Hanji sipped a bit of her water calmly as Eren struggled to wrench the door open.

"Fine, do you want to pay for all the repercussions now?" she spoke calmly.

Eren froze, and Armin turned around in horror.

"Auruo, bring me the list," Hanji ordered the grey-haired man from before. He nodded swiftly and got to his feet, bringing over some pages. Eren and Armin could only stand listen in horror as Hanji flipped through the pages, reading out the names of every single customer which had evidently been in the room before, as well as the cost of each of their individual sessions. Eren could only wince as the prices were anything but moderate.

"And the total comes to _nine thousand eight hundred and seventy-five dollars_ ," she finally concluded.

Eren and Armin felt their knees buckle as they grabbed each other for support, both light-headed after hearing the hefty sum.

"Nine...nine thousand dollars?" Eren breathed.

"Oh, and one more thing," Hanji said, as they both held their breath. "Petra, the medical bill."

_"MEDICAL BILL?!"_

"What? You didn't think all those bandages and the room was for free, did you?" she said as she unfolded a piece of paper the lady gave her. "Ah, how even. It comes to one-hundred and twenty-five dollars, which mean, in all, you owe us _ten thousand dollars_."

Eren pushed his hand on the side of the wall to keep himself steady. "Ten...ten thousand dollars...oh my god..."

Hanji grinned. "So, either you ditch this job and find another way to pay me back my money, or you can grab this job and pay it all back as you go along." She folded the papers swiftly in her and tucked them away. "So, what'll it be?" She looked on expectantly, as if she had actually given them reasonable choices.

Armin looked extremely meek in the face at this point as he looked at Hanji with an extremely pitiful expression. "H-Hanji-san...I thought you were a kind lady..."

Ymir snorted. "Well, talk about life-ruining assumptions." She eyed the two boys up and down. "I don't know, Hanji. They don't seem cut out for slave work to be honest. I mean, throwing a few smiles and pretty words as hosts is manageable but doing labour work all day? I don't think they're cut out for that."

"I agree," Reiner said. "They look like two little pansies to me. Just let them go and they'll pay back the money some other way."

"Don't you think you're being a little too harsh on them, Hanji?" Christa said, with true earnesty. "I mean, they barely look like they're out of _elementary school_."

At this comment, Eren snapped.

"I'LL DO IT!" he yelled.

Armin looked horrified. "EREN! What are you—?!"

Eren grabbed Armin by his collar and dragged him upwards, preventing him from continuing to talk.

"And he'll do it too!" he said defiantly. "And we'll be the best waiters, receptionists, coffee makers or garbage boys this Host Club has ever experienced in its lifetime!"

"E...ren...let...me...go..." Armin panted as he clawed at Eren's hands. They released moments later and Armin fell back down to his feet, breathing heavily.

At this point, Hanji clapped her hands together and smiled brightly. "I'm so glad you decided to join our team! We'll be sure to welcome you as warmly as possible! You're sure to have a great time working here at the Titan Host Club! Come on, get back here! Grab a seat!"

Eren and Armin could only look appalled, as they shuffled consciously back to their former seats.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Her effortless joy was disturbing at this point. "Let's formally introduce ourselves! My name is Hanji Zoe, and I will be your boss from today onwards!" She gestured for introductions to be made around the table.

"Um...I don't think this is necessary..." Armin began but was quickly cut off by the words of the sharp-looking blonde woman.

"My name is Annie Leonhart," she spoke, standing up to reveal her hosting attire. It was a simple black evening gown, but it allowed her to radiate in elegance. Her hair was tied up neatly into a bun at the back of her head, leaving enough to frame her sharp face. "I've been hosting here for two years and customers find my cold and mysterious image to be captivating. It is nice to meet you." Her blank expression didn't change once as she spoke those words, nor did she make eye contact with the two boys.

As she sat back down, the young woman beside her stood up. Instead of wearing a dress, she was instead fully dressed in a form-fitting tuxedo, pulling of the masculine look in a pleasant manner.

"You can call me Ymir," she smiled tauntingly at the boys. "I've been hosting here for a year and a half with my lovely Christa and I probably don't give a shit as to what happens to you two, so good luck!"

The petite blonde girl was next, as she stood up shyly and brushed off her black and white dress, which slightly resembled a maid's. Eren and Armin breathed a sigh of relief: finally someone who didn't seem intimidating.

"Hi, my name is Christa," she smiled kindly. "Like Ymir said, I've been working here for one and a half years. If you have any questions or need any help, please don't be afraid to come and ask me." She finished off with a bright smile that made Eren and Armin feel at ease immediately.

"Yo. I'm Jean Kirstein," said the light-haired guy who stood up next. He wore a well-fitted suit with an unbuttoned collar, grinning obnoxiously as he stood up. "I've been working for almost three years already, and you have no idea how relieved I am now that someone else is finally doing the slave duties in my place." Eren scrunched up his nose at the guy's obnoxious pose. He felt an unexplained resentment towards the guy already for some reason.

"My name is Marco Bott," the next male host said. He wore a suit similar to Jean's except his was neatly buttoned and completed with a black tie. "I've been working for two and a half years and I look forward to getting to know you all better." Simple. Sweet. Just how some people liked it.

"I'm Reiner Braun," the muscular blonde with a full tuxedo said as he stood up. "I've been here for two and a half years. I wish you luck here but I can frankly say that it's not going to be easy. Otherwise, welcome to the Host Club, I guess." Another blunt and honest brute. Just what Eren needed.

Finally, they had made a full circle...except for one person. Eren held his breath, as he anticipated the next and final host's introduction. At last, the man pushed out his chair and stood up, his arms still crossed underneath the black coat that draped over his shoulder. He kept his eyes focused downwards, refusing to give anyone eye contact.

"I'm Levi," he said. He immediately sat back down and crossed his legs.

Silence.

"T-that's it? ' _I'm Levi_?' They went through all the trouble to get all the way here and that's all you can manage?" Hanji scolded. When it was clear that they were not squeezing any more words out of him, Hanji gave up and turned to the group of people in green aprons.

"Us too?" one of them said.

"Sure, you work here, don't you?" Hanji said.

A blonde man with a light beard spoke on behalf of the group. "My name is Mike Zacharius and I'm the head chef here at The Titan Host Club. I am known for my prodigal sense of smell and this here is my kitchen crew. We cook and prepare all the delicious pastries you see here in the shop and we're constantly trying to come up with new recipes so that our customers will always have new and fresh choices in their menu."

"Hi, my name is Petra Ral!" the ginger lady said.

"Gunther Schultz." The black-haired, middle-aged man raised his hand.

"Auruo Bozado," the oldest man smiled.

"Eld Jinn." Blonde, middle-aged, stubble.

The five members of the kitchen staff bowed politely. Eren couldn't help but smile back at them: they seemed like a very close bunch.

"Well? It's your turn," Hanji smiled at the two boys. "Introduce yourself, boys."

Eren and Armin exchanged worried glances with each other. Eren gestured for Armin to go first and he obliged.

"My name is Armin Arlert," he spoke, with a surprisingly steady voice and a solid bow. "I look forward to offering my talents to this club and working with all of you. Thank you for accepting my offer."

Eren blinked at his friend, surprised by his earnest expressions. When he finally realized that everyone's attention had suddenly shifted to him, he cleared his throat.

"Um...I'm...Eren Jaeger," he said. "Uhh...nice to see you all...I guess." He managed to coax an awkward bow out of himself, his presentation much less impressive than Armin's.

"Hmph, what happened to earlier confidence..." Jean muttered. Eren did everything he could to keep himself from punching the guy in the face.

Hanji clapped her hands together joyously once again, the maniac smile returning to her face. "Well, that's just great! Welcome to the club Eren Jaeger and Armin Arlert! Of course, we have other hosts and staff members who are not here today, but you will eventually be acquainted with them as you work here! We'll start immediately with your training duties! Jean, why don't you get out there and show them some basics. Everyone else can lend a helping hand too with cleaning up the store. Remember, we reopen at 8:05 so make sure everything is in tiptop shape!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Everyone except Levi, Eren and Armin replied. They leaped out of their seats and Eren watched as they moved at lightning speeds out of the room, everyone clearly knowing exactly what it was they had to do.

Suddenly, Eren felt someone grab him by the arm.

"What the—!"

He looked up to see it was Jean Kirstein pulling him out the door. "Come on, kiddo! We don't have all day! Time to start waiter duty!"

"HEY—!" But before he could protest any more, Jean had already pulled him out of the room, Armin scurrying after them.

And somehow, Hanji and Levi ended up being the only ones left in the room again. Levi stared suspiciously at Hanji as she gulped down the last bit of her water.

"Phew! That was exhausting! I'm so glad that worked out well, now I can go and relax until the store opens again," she said as she placed the cup back down on the table.

"Hmph. It must be nice to have two new slaves appearing at such a convenient time," Levi remarked.

"What can I say? I'm not as young as I used to be. I can't run a coffee counter forever."

Levi shrugged as he made his way towards the door. "You really are a sly woman..." he said. He could sense Hanji pausing behind him.

"What makes you say that?" she asked, confusion in her voice.

"Nothing. I think you would know better than I would."

And without another word, he left the room and closed the door behind him.

"Wait, Levi!" He heard her call through the door.

"What is it?"

Hanji's voice was slightly muffled, but still audible. "Why were you late today?!"

Levi paused at the question, sorting through the various answers he could give her. As no one was around, Levi did something he hardly ever did.

He smirked.

And then he said:

"That's none of your business."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took awhile to update ^^ It was a combination of writer's block and long chapter lol.  
> Either ways, I'm surprised so many of you guys are encouraging me with this idea. ^^
> 
> I've got a lot more exciting things to write about, and I feel like I've barely gotten started, so please stick with me and anticipate :D
> 
> Thanks a lot and more Ereri in the next chapter hopefully :P I'm debating whether to continue with some hosting scenarios or reveal what exactly it was that happened between Levi and Eren. Any suggestions?  
> Love you guys ♥


	4. tour du club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A meticulous host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> Feeling overwhelmed? Feel free to ask for a quick tour of The Titan Host Club!
> 
> Your host shall personally make sure you know the club inside out by the end of the session~! ♥

"Elementary school students...the nerve..." Eren muttered through gritted teeth. "Who does she think she is to call me that? She's not exactly six feet tall..."

Armin glared at him. "Be quiet, will you? It's bad enough that we have to do this so quit complaining, will you?"

Eren's eyes shot daggers back at his friend. "And who's fault is that? Who thought it would be a good idea to follow the 'kind lady'?"

"Quit being so bitter. It's too late, and blaming each other won't change anything now."

"Oh, we're not blaming each other. _I'm_ blaming _you_."

Armin sighed. He was beyond the mood for arguing at this point. He could've mentioned that the whole Host Club idea had been Eren's idea in the first place. He could've mentioned that it was Eren who had decided to chase after the man and beat him up. He could've mentioned that it was Eren who had screamed those vulgar cuss words so loudly. He could've mentioned that Eren was the one who decided to challenge Levi to a fight.

But instead, he said: "Eren, can you help me tie my apron?"

Eren smirked.

"I never thought I'd ever hear you say that within my lifetime."

* * *

"OHMIGAWSH! YOU GUYS LOOK SO CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE~!"

Hanji squealed in delight as she jumped at her two newest recruits, terrifying the crap out of them. She wrapped each of her arms around their necks and pulled them together in an awkward three way embrace. Armin could've sworn he saw Eren mouth "help me" by the corner of his eye.

When she had had enough of the hugging, Hanji pulled back so she could admire the two boys.

"Gawsh, you look so good in these outfits!" Hanji drawled. "Best people who have worn them yet, without a doubt! AIIIIEEE~! You're both so cute I wish I could just squish the two of you together and make adorable stuffed animals out of you two!" She squealed yet again, clapping her hands together as Eren and Armin exchanged concerned looks.

But of course, her compliments were not lacking evidence. Eren Jaeger and Armin Arlert definitely looked quite "adorable" in their formal waiter attire. They were both wearing matching black pants and vest, with a white apron wrapped around their waist. There was a white cloth draped around their right arm, as they neglectfully held a silver platter in their other hand. They looked quite refined with black bow-ties fastened around their collars and regardless of them having just arrived, Hanji had already prepared the blue-and-white Titan Host Club Winged Insignia Pins for them to fasten on their left chest.

Hanji suddenly waved her hand, beckoning someone to come.

"Levi! LEVI!! Come look at them! They look so cute! YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS! LEVIIIIIIII~!" she called, her voice trilling. In a matter of seconds, the solemn host appeared through a connecting doorway, his expression as deadpan as ever as he saw the two.

"Aren't they cute?! Tell me they're cute. THEY'RE SO CUTE!" Hanji repeated. At this point, both boys were feeling quite burdened, especially Eren who did not want to hear Levi's judgment of whether or not he was cute. He felt like whichever answer was given, he would feel quite traumatized afterwards.

Levi stared silently for a moment before giving his answer. Eren held his breath.

"Mediocre," he said finally.

Hanji looked appalled as if Levi had just uttered the most vulgar curse word. Both Eren and Armin sighed, Armin's exasperated, Eren's disappointed. As if they could expect anything more.

"For two slaves, it's pretty mediocre," Levi concluded bluntly before he left the room.

Hanji scrunched her face up in annoyance. "Ignore him," she reassured the two boys. "He has no taste anyway. You should've seen him before he started working here. His fashion sense was horrendous. Come with me, I'll give you guys a quick tour of the place!" She walked towards the door and gestured for them to followed as if they even had a choice. The two found themselves standing outside the door of a room at the end of a long hallway with countless doors lining each side of it. The hallway ended with the large double doors that was the entrance to the club area.

"So, boys!" Hanji started talking. "Welcome to the Titan Host Club! The door you have just exited from contains the changerooms, divided into a male and female section! Newcomers tend to recognize it as 'The Door at the End of the Hallway', and that is where you shall be changing from now on. Washrooms and showers are also in there, but it's quite the obvious stuff." She gestured to the next three doors in front of them.

"Those are the guest rooms," she continued explaining. "Whenever someone needs to stay for the night or just needs a bed for a quick nap or something, there's plenty of space in there. Just don't abuse them and always keep them clean for the next person who needs them. Otherwise Levi will probably kill you."

Eren raised an eyebrow. "He's a clean freak?"

Hanji shrugged. "You'll find the answer to that question for yourself soon enough." She kept walking passing a few doors without bothering to explain what they were. Eren felt his sense of curiosity gnawing at him, wondering why Hanji chose to neglect those doors.

Hanji stopped next at a smaller pair of double doors, which were already propped open. Eren wrinkled his nose as he sniffed the air, suddenly noticing a delicious smell of a high-class bakery wafting from inside. Hanji smiled knowingly at his reaction.

"Have you figured out what this place is?" she inquired.

Eren frowned, but it was Armin who immediately spoke up.

"The kitchen," he answered. "I can smell the pastries from here."

"Very nice! Come on in, don't be shy!" Hanji smiled as she stepped into the bright room. Eren and Armin immediately followed Hanji with quick steps, eager to see the work of professional chefs. They couldn't wait to see the way the chefs would prepare their pastries with their extreme speeds and accuracy, creating the perfect creation within minutes. They longed to see the way the icing would be laden so skillfully onto the cake, the fresh fruits placed on top with extra care. It would be the first time they would be able to witness the creation of valuable pastries in person, which were sure to be flawless and—

"WATCH OOOOUUUUT~!"

Eren jolted at the sound of the high pitched voice and impulsively jumped out of the way as he saw a head of ginger spin with an alarming speed right by where he had been standing moments before. She stumbled a little bit before slamming the tray she had been carrying onto the kitchen counter, catching her breath.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she spoke upon recognizing Hanji, Eren and Armin. "I didn't mean to—"

"PETRA!" a booming voice sounded from somewhere within the kitchen. A blonde haired man who Eren recognized as Mike Zacharius stepped out, a frown laden in his expression.

"What do you think you're doing?" he immediately scolded. He picked up one of the pastries from the tray. It was scorched black. Petra looked away, embarrassed.

"First of all," he grimaced. "What do you think you're doing stumbling around with a hot tray like that? You could've burnt someone!"

"I'm sorry, chef! I used the wrong gloves," Petra replied sheepishly, she dangled a pair of pink rubber gloves from her hands which looked quite deformed at this point. "I was in a hurry!"

"If you were truly in a hurry and got there in time, then WHY ARE ALL THE PASTRIES BURNT?!" Chef Mike berated mercilessly.

"It's not my fault!" Petra protested. "This was Auruo's batch! He left it for some reason, so I did what I could to save it but by the time I got there it was already too late!"

"Oh, so now it's my fault?!" called yet another voice from behind. The older man named Auruo appeared, his entire outfit covered from head to toe in flour and his expression showing extreme distaste.

"I was busy minding my own business when the doofuses back there said they needed help with the flour," he said. "I went to help them carry some in and then one of the bags ripped and it all just became a huge mess and we tried to clean it up but couldn't so _this_ happened." He gestured to his attire, glaring at Petra. "You couldn't help me watch over one batch of pastries? Do I have to do _everything_ around here while you just sit and complain?!"

"Hey, be quiet, Auruo! Who was it that ripped the flour bag in the first place?!" Erd and Gunther had arrived on the scene, the two also completely covered in flour.

"We should've known better than to ask you to help us: whenever you mess up you always blame it on us," Gunther continued on his friend's former sentences.

"Why, you little bastards, who do you think you are to talk down on me?!" Auruo rebuked, stepping up to the two with a ferocious glare.

Petra tried to step between the guys. "Now, now, guys, stop it. We still have cookies to bake so let's not start a fight now—"

"Stay out of this, Petra," Erd snapped. "If you had been good enough to watch over the pastries properly in the first place this wouldn't have happened."

Petra stiffened for a moment, as if she was at a loss for words. Then she changed. It was as if a demon had suddenly possessed her.

"What did you just say...?" she trembled. "I try to help someone...and when it doesn't work out...you guys derogate me like this? HOW DARE YOU?!" She let out a terrifying screech as she grabbed one of the hard-burnt pastries and chucked it directly into Erd's face.

"HEY! YOU CRAZY BITCH! I DIDN'T EVEN SAY ANYTHING TO YOU!" Erd yelled. "IT WAS GUNTHER!" And much to his wishes, another burnt pastry hit Gunther squarely in the face moments alter.

Gunther growled. "WHY YOU LITTLE—"

"DO NOT MISTREAT THE FOOD!" Chef Mike tried getting everyone's attention. But it was too late. His subordinates had went into a fury and were ignoring everything else around them, focused on grabbing as many burnt pieces as possible and chucking them at each other with full strength, screaming and yelling crude words at one another.

Armin watched on, a mixture of disappointment and confusion laden on his face. "Umm..."

Eren could say nothing. He merely watched observantly, half-amused, half-concerned.

"I'm...I'm sure the Head Chef will get it all under control soon..." Armin whispered to reassure himself.

Eren still said nothing, but this time, he winced as one of the pastries finally hit the Head Chef in the nose.

Everyone froze, as Mike rubbed his nose slowly, his eyes searching for the aggressor who had thrown the black chunk. His eyes finally narrowed and focused on Auruo, who quivered nervously.

The chef gritted his teeth. "How _dare_ you hit my precious nose..." he grimaced.

All of a sudden, he grabbed the tray with all the burnt pastries with his bare hands and flung the steel platter up above his head, pastries flying everywhere. Still holding the try over his head, Mike ran straight at Auruo. Everyone screamed as they ran away from the crazed chef who was swinging the tray madly, running in every possible direction in an attempt to get away from his rabid swings.

"Uhh...I think we better go..." Hanji finally concluded, quickly turning Eren and Armin around, shoving them towards the door from which they came. Eren and Armin walked out, the angry screams still heard from behind. Hanji pushed them out quickly and closed the kitchen doors behind them, the noises still muffled from within.

"Well then..." she said awkwardly. Eren and Armin could only stare at her, with deadpan expressions on their face. She scratched the nape of her neck nervously.

"Don't worry too much about them," she said. "They go from world-class teamwork to _that_ within seconds so we're all pretty much used to it by now. You'll soon be as well. But yeah, I guess you should avoid the kitchen as much as possible during your first few days here...wouldn't want a similar incident to _that time_ happening again..."

"I'm sorry, what?" Armin inquired.

"Nothing," Hanji said, brushing her hands together awkwardly. "Moving on." She nodded towards the next two adjacent doors on the right side of the hallway.

"Break Room and Games Room," she said. "Where the employees go on their breaks. The break room is just a comfy room with couches and resting places whereas the games room has a pool table, an ice hockey table, foosball, an old arcade game...all stuff left from when this place used to be an arcade before we bought it." She opened the first door and let them take a quick look at the so-called "Games Room". It was nothing impressive, but it was certainly a place which reeked of familiarity, making it somewhat appealing.

"This place used to be an arcade?" Eren mused.

Hanji smirked. "Long story short, I had connections with the guy who owned this place. He let me have it for a lower price when he left to settle down with his family. Good guy, he was."

"You sure you didn't blackmail him into giving it to you?" Eren mumbled.

"What? Me?! Blackmail?" Hanji laughed. "Now why would I ever do such a thing? Next room, likely to soon be your favourite: The Break Room!" She opened the next door to reveal a room stacked with comfy couches and decorated with colourful curtains and calming paintings. It was very homey, with its comforting atmosphere, and Eren was extremely tempted jump into and sink himself into one of those very soft looking cushions.

"Employees go here for break," Hanji explained simply. "When you're a host, you get a fifteen minute break for every four hour shift, thirty for a six, and a thirty and a twenty for an eight. If you've worked enough and gained a certain level of seniority, flexibility may be given to the length of your breaks. But you two have got a long way to go, so don't worry too much about that." She shut the door abruptly on the two, as if to suggest that they would not be spending much time in the Break Room...at all.

Hanji walked to the opposite wall and opened yet another door. Eren and Armin's eyes widened as they saw the dimly-lit room with a very high ceiling stacked from top to bottom with boxes and boxes of items. Closest to the door were racks and racks of clothes. Eren noticed a row of the standard host and waiter uniforms, which was to be expected, but beyond that he also saw school uniforms, officer uniforms, maid outfits, Victorian gowns, animal suits, hospital attire, royalty attire...you name it.

"...cosplay?" he finally concluded.

Hanji beamed at the suggestion. "Close!" she piped. "This is the stuff we use whenever we host a special event, or mostly for our Theme Tuesdays. We pick a theme, and customers are allowed a little bonus that day. We usually redecorate the place to fit the theme, as well as wear the required costume. Of course, the stock is never limited to just this room. Sometimes we have to go out and get more. You might want to remember this room...the two of you will be in and out of here a lot for the next few months."

Eren groaned. _Not grunt work._ He felt tired just looking at the high shelves of boxes.

_**CRASH!** _

Eren yelped and Armin jumped as the loud noise startled all three of them.

"Oh no..." Hanji frowned. She walked over to a toppled box and picked it up, revealing broken vases and other fancy ceramics. A shiver ran through Eren's spine, as he realized that box likely felt from a very high altitude and could've hit any of them had they been just a little closer.

"Well, shoot, looks like someone didn't stack the boxes very well," Hanji mused. She hastily shoved the broken pieces back into the  cardboard box with her foot. She picked up the smushed box and threw it into Armin's arms, who slightly struggled underneath the new weight.

"Throw that out later," she said. "You should be careful in here. That happens sometimes." She then walked away as if it was really no big deal that something could fall and crack their skulls open at any moment.

Eren glanced over at Armin, who gulped nervously. The job had suddenly gotten a lot more life-threatening.

As if it wasn't enough already.

* * *

"Finally, we're here! The Official Hosting Area!" Hanji exclaimed gleefully as she spread her arms and displayed the room that was undoubtedly the most proud of.

Eren and Armin scanned the area, having not yet seen it properly, and they were quite impressed by its meticulous yet simplistic nature. The customers were so into their experience that they didn't even notice Hanji, undoubtedly entranced by the host of their choosing. Sure enough, Levi, Jean, Marco, Ymir, Christa, Annie, and Reiner were all scattered in various spots around the room, happily acquainted with their customers. Eren felt a urging longing to join them.

It seemed that Hanji was having similar thoughts as she sighed. "I remember when I used to be part of this hype...those were some good times."

"You used to be a host?" Armin inquired.

"Back in the day, a long, long time ago, when this place had just opened, I used to be one of the best hosts. We were known as The Nine Host Commanders, the most elite of the elite of hosts," Hanji lamented. "You had to through a lot of trouble to be able to book a session with a Commander, but it would always be worth it. Of course, we were all young back and even the crowd was young...but every one grows up at some point. Of the nine original Commanders, only Levi remains a host today, while the rest of us have moved on to different jobs, while still keeping an eye on the club itself and supporting it from behind."

"Who were the other seven members Original Nine Commanders?" Armin asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

Hanji only smiled mysteriously. "I'm sure you'll find out eventually."

"Levi is an elite host? Who would've thought?" Eren mumbled.

"Taken a liking to him, have you?" Hanji teased, noting a scalding glare from the kid. "Or a resentment, whichever it may be. Take a look at that over there." She pointed to fancy signs hung on the side of the wall.

A closer look and the boys realized that it was a ranking chart of some sort, with a photo of the host beside a particular rank. They walked closer to take a look. Each ranking sign had a different title, such as "Solo Request", "Duo Request"..etc. The largest sign was the "Solo Request" sign, consisting of a ranking for every single host of the club. Eren noticed that Levi's photo was enlarged at the top of it and framed within a golden border. There was a giant "1" next to it, along with the name "Levi" and a little blurb below describing his customer's statistics within the club.

"As you can see, Host Levi is currently the King of the Club, with having the most solo requests out of all the hosts," Hanji explained. "We keep very careful record of customer preferences here at the Titan Host Club, you see, and this provides a quick and easy method for employees to check how well they're doing, as well as a means for the customer to see who is currently the most desirable. The ranking is updated weekly, and employees actually get bonuses depending on how high up they are ranked on the list. It's a pretty good motivator."

Hanji gestured to the enlarged photo of Levi, looking as superior and uncaring as ever in his host profile picture.

"Since the club has opened, only one person has ever been able to take Levi's position, and even so, it was only for one week. He has been the unrivaled Lead Host of the Titan Host Club for years, his request rate being more than quadruple of the next host beneath him. You may hear him being referred to as 'Heichou' or 'Heichou-sama' very often, as a reference to his dominant position within this Host Club."

Eren blinked at the overwhelming description. He dared to glance out of the corner of his eye to see the place where Levi was seated. Sure enough, there was a large crowd of people surrounding him, but he did not seem at all openly social or encouraging to them at the moment. If anything, he seemed even more serious than before.

"Lead Host? _That midget_?" he scoffed. "What could possibly be so attractive about him?"

Hanji shrugged. "I ask myself that question everyday..." Eren noticed she did not scold him for calling his superior a midget. "Who knows? He's been at the top for Solo Requests since forever but he hasn't broken the Top 5 for Duo Requests since back then. He's only good on his own nowadays, milking that independent, soulless image of his. I can't stand it. Speaking of duo, you two may be interested in earning bonuses in that category when you start hosting. Ymir and Christa have been holding steady the top position for "F/F Requests" since they've starting working, but when you look at the "Duo Requests" as a whole, they occasionally slip below an "M/M Request" or two, just because those are so popular amongst teenage girls nowadays."

Armin shuffled uncomfortably for a minute. "Wait, so you want Eren and I to...?"

"Don't worry too much about it," Hanji waved her hand dismissively at Armin. "You're still on support duties right now. Just a consideration to leave in the back of your mind. And plus, it'll all come naturally to you when the time comes."

"... _naturally?_ ""

"Naturally."

Eren shivered at the word, wondering what this place really had in store for them.

Suddenly, Hanji clapped her hands together and smiled maniacally again. Eren and Armin were tempted to back away and run out of the store right at that moment.

"Now boys...it's time for waiter duty!"

* * *

"10 SECONDS! TWO CARAMEL LATTES! TABLE 3! LET'S GO GO GO! WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!"

Hanji slammed her hand on the bell as Eren came scurrying over, hair glued to his forehead because of the sweat as he grabbed the two lattes and placed them ever so carefully on his platter, being sure not to spill this time. He walked as fast as he could over to the table where Jean was duo hosting with Marco, a fake smile plastered on his face as he placed the drink down on the table.

"Two caramel lattes for two _very lovely misses_ ," Eren said greasily as he placed the two drinks in front of two senior women with grey hair. They both exchanged confused glances at one another, but quickly turned back to their conversation with their duo hosts, Jean and Marco.

"FOUR PEPPERMINT TEAS! 15 SECONDS TO TABLE 9! ARMIN, HURRY UP!"

The bell sounded again, as Eren turned back to see his friend breathing rapidly and slurring with heavy steps towards the counter, already quite exhausting after an hour of the non-stop business. He arrived at the same time Eren did, and his arm reached out weakly to grab the porcelain cups.

Eren reached out to grab his friend's arm.

"Stop. I'll take it to them. You look like you're about to die," he said.

Armin was about to protest, but it was Hanji who spoke up instead.

"Let him go, Eren. He'll need to get used to this level of endurance, if not more," Hanji said with her back turned to them, conjuring up yet another brew of some sort.

"But he's already—"

"Go Armin. And Eren, take a moment. I need to talk to you for a second." Without another word, Armin was running off, trying to brighten up his tired expression as much as possible. Eren felt terrified as he walked behind Hanji's counter, afraid of what was to come.

"Hey, kid," she said. "I told you to act kind and welcoming, not overbearing and sappy. What are thinking calling those two women ' _very lovely misses'_? Honestly, how long do you think it's been since they've been called that? They probably don't even remember the meaning of those words anymore."

Eren blushed. "Sorry, Boss Hanji, I was just—"

"Be _w_ _elcoming_. Treat them as if you were treating a guest to your own house. Don't be unnecessary. Now here, take this Strawberry Chai Tea to Table 4. She's sitting alone so don't screw up. I'll be paying attention."

"Yes, ma'am." He placed the drink on the tray and walked over to a secluded table by the window. Eren gulped nervously but forced a genuine smile onto his face, carrying the drink over.

_Treat her like a guest at your own house..._

"One Strawberry Chai Tea for you," he said naturally, placing the drink on the table. The girl suddenly jolted up from her daydream and turned to see Eren with his boyish grin, messy brown hair and slightly disheveled waiter uniform.

"Oh hey...you're _really_ cute~" she giggled as she stared into his eyes, twirling the tips of her long, blonde hair between her fingers.

Eren was taken aback by the sudden compliment.

He chuckled sheepishly. "Oh...um...well...uh...I don't get that very often...um...thank you?" He reached back with his free hand and scratched the nape of his neck awkwardly.

She giggled more and lean closer to him, as if she was trying to look for something from within his deep green eyes.

"Do you work here, by any chance?" she spoke, her voice almost a seductive whisper. Eren felt intense goosebumps on the back of his neck.

"Um...yeah...I guess..."

She giggled again. "Not work here as a waiter. You know, like _work_ here...as a _host_."

"Um.......no?"

She sank back, disappointment evident on the pout that formed on her lips.

"Aw, that's too bad," she frowned. "I guess I'll have to settle for my regular again. I thought I'd finally seen someone that could make me try something new for once. Oh well." She winked at Eren. "I guess I'll see you around, huh?"

"...uh...yeah...I guess..."

"Do tell me when you get a promotion," she smirked.

"Will do," he smiled in response.

He suddenly heard the bell ring again. Slightly flustered, he bid his goodbyes to the forward young lady and ran back to Hanji, who he had forgotten had been observing him this entire time.

"I'm so sorry, Hanji-san, I took too long because she was—"

Hanji suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder, looking him directly in the eye. Eren noticed there were tears leaking out the corner.

"That...was...so...beautiful..." she whimpered. Eren was confused for a moment, but when he felt that prideful swelling in his chest, he realized it must've been a very good feeling.

"Waiter!!" a voice called suddenly, interrupting whatever it was Hanji was about to say.

Hanji turned Eren around and gave him a playful shove at the sudden request. "Go, run! Charm them with your boyish good looks and wow me!" Without any protests, Eren hurriedly walked towards the direction of the voice.

It was by Ymir and Christa's table. As the two entertained a large group with their delightful conversation, a brown-haired boy of no more than twelve years of age waved and gestured for Eren. He scrambled over as the boy handed him a half-filled mug of coffee.

"I'm sorry, I tried ordering this to look cool in front of Christa, but it's too bitter," he whispered. "Could you take it away for me?"

Eren smiled sympathetically at the customer, taking the mug kindly. "Of course."

The boy smiled back happily at Eren. "Thanks dude! You're awesome!" And he turned back to his hosting group with Ymir and Christa.

Eren walked away with a smug expression on his face. Cute. Beautiful. Awesome. Three ego-inflating compliments in row. His steps were bouncy and merry as he made his way back to the coffee counter, satisfied with the sudden sense of self-worth. _Maybe working here won't be so bad after al_ —

_"YEEARGH!"_

Eren made an estrangled noise as he felt himself lurching forward, his leg having hooked onto the foot of unsuspecting customer. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as his platter flew from his hand, the half-filled mug of dark espresso coffee also flying from it. He felt all eyes in the room on him as he smashed painfully into the ground, his face smushing itself altogether in the most unattractive manner as he met with the ground. He felt the pain shoot through him seconds later, as his body responded to the shocking impact.

"EREN!" He heard Armin calling for him as he snapped back to his senses, trying to crawl back to sitting position. He heard mumbles and whispers of concern and disgust from all corners of the room.

He slowly got up blinking, looking around the room. He caught sight of Armin, who had frozen in his place for some reason. A sense of uneasiness wafted through him as he realized everyone shared similar horrified expressions as his friend. Even Hanji had stopped what she was doing to stare.

And when he finally looked in front of him, he too, mirrored an expression that was identical to the others, if not ten times more petrified.

The coffee mug was lying miraculously unbroken next to a pair of glossy black shoes. However, that was the least of Eren's concerns as he followed the black shoes upward to see the dark coffee dripping from the black hem of an expensive-looking suit. It was completely stained all over the vest underneath, as well as the white shirt and cravat peaking through by the collar. His eyes continued moving upward stare at a face with cold, hard eyes and thin lips, the bitter liquid dripping all over the pale white skin. Evidently the coffee had flown straight into the person's face and dripped all the way down his chest after it had left Eren's hands.

Eren gulped nervously as Levi glared viciously down at him, looking more than uncomfortable in his sodden attire.

"Hanji, could I have a moment with the kid?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More introduction stuff and so on. Just so you all get a very specific idea of what's going on and how I picture it all to be :P Sorry I took so long, I was really busy this week :P  
> It'll pick up soon I promise. I promise more interactions between the character. And how about I say strictly Ereri scenes in the next? I mean, they're about to be alone together so I might as well XD
> 
> Oh, and I'll need some help this time. The Titan Host Club Ranking Solo Request Charts needs to be updated so if you could please choose your current favourite host here (Levi's been left out due to his already confirmed position as #1. I understand this may not really be the case, but for the benefit of the doubt and the sake of the story, he is not included XD):  
> https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3TPYQCK
> 
> I'll directly incorporate the results into the story. So please vote if you come across this. I'll use this poll to update. ^^
> 
> Any ideas, suggestions? Thank you for reading and staying with me again! ♥
> 
> P.S. Does Strawberry and Chai Tea even work? XD Who knows, it sounded pretty so... XD


	5. tension ♥

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A passionate host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> Got a friend who's breaking from the stress and needs to loosen up?
> 
> Go ahead and invite them for a guaranteed relaxing night out at The Titan Host's Club! ♥ 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm going to go right into it this time :3

Eren yelped as he felt his back slam into the wall of one of the guest rooms, his breath catching in his throat as Levi held him by the scruff of his collar.

"L-let m-me...go..." Eren struggled. "I...can't...br..eathe..."

But Levi's grip was firm. "Who do you think you are, kid?" he snarled. "It hasn't even been two hours since you've been here and you've already pissed me off _twice_. What are you, really?" He gave Eren an aggressive shove against the wall while letting go, the kid bending over and coughing as he attempted to retain his normal rhythm of breathing.

Levi had already shrugged off his soaked jacket and vest earlier, but now he went and undid the cravat from his neck and stared at it in disgust. What was once a white, finely pressed piece of fabric was now completely drenched with dark coffee and looking pathetically scrunched up.

"Well, it's never coming out now," Levi realized, as he threw the ruined cravat neglectfully at Eren, while undoing the top few buttons of his shirt.

To Levi's surprise, Eren retaliated. He grabbed the fallen fabric and threw it back at Levi, hitting him squarely in the face.

"What am I, a dog?!" Eren huffed angrily. "I barely even know you and you're already acting all superior and stuff. You beat up a kid who you've never even met before, and you treat everyone like the scum underneath your shoes! Just because you have the most customer requests at some dingy host club doesn't mean you're king of the world or something!"

Levi's eyes flared. "How do you know about that...?"

"Does it matter right now? I don't care if Hanji or Petra or anyone else here treats you like some sort of god. I'm not like them and I'm certainly not going to bow down at your feet and lick your shoes just because you act I like should."

Levi found himself being taken aback by the kid's defiance. It was unlike anything he had ever encountered in awhile. He thought about the brat's words for a moment. It was true, everyone here _did_ treat him like a superior being, but was it all a fragile illusion? Could it be that, while he could act like a reigning king within the club, the same behaviour would not be acceptable elsewhere?

Levi thought about it for a moment, he really did.

_What bullshit._

With the firm conclusion in his mind, he walked slowly up to the kid, a taunting expression in his face. His resolution was confirmed to be true when he saw the kid recoil slightly, his back once again pressed against the wall.  _What a piece of crap, spewing out all that bullshit in my face when he's actually no different than anyone else._ He reached his left arm out and pinned Eren against the wall, using the kid's stooped position to his advantage. He watched the kid's attempt to stop shuddering as he leaned closer.

"Now then, what would you do if I _forced_ you to obey me?" Levi said slowly. "After all, I am your superior here, and if you don't listen to me, you could be sacked in an instant...not to mention that I could probably kill you in about 12 different ways using just my earlobe, hmm?" He noticed Eren attempting to turn his head away, avoiding the feel of Levi's breath on his face, and the slight touch of their legs and arms.

"What if I said, lick my shoes now, otherwise I'll tell Hanji to fire you and make the debt due tomorrow?" Levi slurred, enjoying every moment of the situation. He saw the kid turn and look back at him with a ferocious glare in his eyes. It certainly provoked him to play around with the brat even more.

"You're a _sick_ bastard," Eren managed to drawl out.

"Maybe. But not as sick as you will be after you lick my shoes," Levi retorted.

Eren's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"It _was_ your suggestion."

Eren grimaced. Levi could tell he was trying to figure a way out of this. It seemed useless at this point.

" _You're a hateful man_ ," Eren finally uttered, with a new level of passion that Levi hadn't heard before.

"I hate you too, _brat_ ," Levi replied simply.

Eren shot him one last defiant glare, and to Levi's surprise, he stooped downwards towards Levi's dirtied shoes.

 _Is he really going to...?_ Levi could only watch in amazement as Eren bent lower and lower, getting closer and closer to his feet.

Suddenly, Eren let out an enraged cry and grabbed onto Levi's legs, taking him by surprise as he knocked him out from underneath. He found himself in a vulnerable position underneath Eren, who  was leaning over top of him, pinning him down onto the dirty floor.

"Brat, what do you think you're—"

"Shut up. I don't care if I get fired or have to pay back $10 000 by tomorrow if it means I get to hurt you so badly you won't be able to work for three months."

Levi struggled desperately from underneath Eren. Why had he let his guard down? If he had paid a little more attention this would've never happened. He was normally so alert, so acute to situations like this. This had never happened to him before. Why this kid? He was definitely not as strong as Levi was. How was this _brat_ able to render him so powerless?

"Hey, you insane brat, if you don't get off me now, I'm going to—"

Levi was stopped mid-sentence as Eren's fist came hurling at where his face would've been had he not dodged at the last second. Levi's pupils dilated as he realized he needed to act fast, before the crazy kid actually did pummel his face inside out (and at this point, there was no doubt that Eren would actually carry through with his actions). He thought fast and swung his leg up from underneath, hitting whichever part of Eren he could as hard his could. His knee managed to dig into the boy's thigh, surprising the boy and allowing Levi to gain control. He pushed up with all of his strength and flipped their positions so that Eren was now on the ground.

"Well, that was fast, wasn't it?" Levi spoke. "What are you going to pull this time?"

"You...that was cheating!" Eren protested.

"And you pulling out my legs from underneath wasn't cheap? Whatever you say. What should I do to you this time? What a pity...you've just healed from your prior injuries and I already have to create new ones..."

"Why are you doing this?!"

"You were the one who tried to crush my face."

"Yeah, but...YOU STARTED IT!"

Levi groaned in disbelief. He couldn't believe the boy was arguing at an elementary school level. He really had no response at this point. Forgetting what his original motive was, he slowly crawled off the boy and stood up, brushing off his clothes. He had suddenly lost all interest to further punish the kid. Even Eren was shocked at the sudden mercy. He quickly scrambled to his feet, trying to read Levi's thoughts.

"Go get me another shirt and some new pants, Jaeger," Levi said suddenly.

"What?"

"Hanji showed you where they are. I need to change out of this crap, grab them for me."

Eren found himself stuttering over his words for no apparent reason. "W-Why should I do it for you?"

Levi gave him a weird look. "Or do you want me to go back out there like this?" He spread his arms out a little, brandishing his barely covered chest. Eren couldn't help but stare for a bit. "You work here now, remember? I'm still your superior. I can't really go outside to get someone else to do it right now. You don't really mind, do you, brat?"

"Err...no, of course not?"

The two continued staring awkwardly at each other, Levi wondering why Eren hadn't left yet and Eren wondering if he should say something else. With their level of uneasiness, it was hard to believe that they had declared their hatred and tried to kill each other only two seconds ago.

"Well?" Levi spoke up.

"Y-yeah! I'll go now," Eren replied. More silence. Then Eren gestured awkwardly towards the door and then turned his back to Levi, walking out. Levi breathed a sigh of relief, not sure what to think of his sudden predicament. He was going to get the kid later, somehow, sometime.

Meanwhile, Eren was leaning his back on the closed door, as he too, breathed a hefty sigh. His heart was pounding rapidly in his chest, but he wasn't entirely sure of whether or not it was because of the struggling he had endured earlier or...something else. He chose to ignore it, driving it out of his mind by reminding himself what a horrible jerkface the short, overly stoic, old man truly was. And it worked. It worked real well.

He stumbled down the hallway awkwardly, trying to remember which door was the door to the Costume & Props Room.

Too focused on finding the room, Eren didn't notice that Hanji had been standing in the shadows right next to the door from which he had just come from that entire time.

And she was grinning maniacally as she tapped the screen of the phone, stopping the recording.

* * *

"Here, this looks like it might be your size," Eren said, throwing some black and white clothes at Levi. Levi eyed Eren suspiciously as he grabbed the mushed up clothes. He shook out the white shirt and held it up in front of him. It was of decent size and Levi had to give credit to the kid's good judgment. He then reached and grabbed the black pants, unfolding it quickly, eager to get changed and get back to his job.

He found himself holding pants that looked like they were made for a twelve-year-old.

"I thought those were the perfect size for your legs."

Eren stifled his laughter as much as he uttered those words, though the glare he received from Levi was definitely traumatizing.

"Would you prefer to be killed by my pinky or my big toe?" Levi threatened.

Eren held his hands up to plead his innocence. "Whoa, whoa, calm down. Those were seriously the only size pants left that were small enough. Everything else was huge. No way would you have fit into any of them."

"It's better than squeezing my ass into this thing!" Levi yelled.

Eren scoffed. "Trust me, Heichou-sama. It's better to wear that than to drag your way across the entire Host Club with three feet of fabric hanging off your feet."  Levi raised an eyebrow. It was the first time the boy had addressed him with that title, though whether it was to mock him or reassure him, Levi wasn't entirely sure.

"Brat, I swear if you're pulling something..." Levi mumbled.

"Oh, come on. It'll look fine. You can pull off the distant, edgy hipster style or something."

 _Distant, edgy hipster style._ The kid's words almost tempted Levi into strangling himself with the pants as a preference. He sighed in defeat as he realized he had wasted enough time already, and preceded to rapidly unbutton his stained shirt all the way.

Suddenly, he saw Eren jump backwards and cover his face with his hands. Levi looked at Eren questioningly when the kid opened his mouth to speak.

"Whoa, you're just going to change _right here_? Just like that?" Eren's voice was extremely flustered for some reason, as he reached frantically behind him to grope around for something.

"It _is_ the changeroom, isn't it?" Levi stated bluntly.

Eren was still reaching around randomly, one hand still covering his eyes. Levi noticed that part of his face which was not shielded by his hand was extremely red.

"Uh...um...I think I'll just...er...get back to work now. See ya!" Eren exclaimed as he finally found the doorknob he had been looking for and burst out of the small room as fast as possible, disappearing in a flash. Levi found himself looking at the empty spot where Eren had been two seconds ago, extremely confused.

_What a weird brat._

He slipped on the new white shirt easily enough, as he thought to himself how embarrassing it was that he had gotten filthy and was forced to change twice in a day, all because of one kid. His distaste was only increased when he caught sight of the pants that Eren had brought him. Just the thought of squishing his way into those ruined his mood. He debated just wearing his old pants and just dealing with the crap that Hanji was going to give him, but then decided against it.

Levi picked up the tiny black pants and sighed one last time, realizing he had no other choice.

* * *

"Whoa, is this tension I feel between you and a potential lover, or is it just the stretching of the fabric of your new pants across your ass?"

"Shut up, Hanji."

Hanji had to do everything she could to control her laughter as she stared at the sight of Levi in pants that were clearly too small for his size. The pants ended halfway down his calves, and the parts which they did cover seemed to pinch and stick tightly to his skin, revealing every nook and cranny of his legs. When he walked, he had to take up a sort of awkward limp, as every movement seemed suffocating. His expression was more unpleasant than she had ever seen it before, and that itself was certainly something worth noting.

"Well, it's a nice change from the usual, formal attire," Hanji said. "I'm sure your customers would love to see Casual Levi. See? Opportunity for change. It looks good." And it was true. If you ignored the fact that the pants were pretty much cutting off all of the circulation below the waist, Levi actually looked laid-back and relaxed for once. It was a simple white button-up over a pair of skinny black pants, nothing more.

"Do we really not have any other pants left...at all?" Levi grumbled.

Hanji shook her head. "Nope. The kid was thorough in his search. Nothing left. This will look best on you to be honest."

"How do you expect me to talk to anyone civilly when my butt is being asphyxiated as we speak?"

Hanji shrugged. "You're a professional, Levi, you'll figure it out."

"This is actually bad," Levi muttered. "I can no longer feel my—"

He was interrupted as the door slammed open. The two looked up to see Jean and Marco strolling in, relieved expressions on their faces.

"BREAK TIIIIIME~!" Jean spoke in an obnoxious sing-song voice as he entered. "Only two hours left to go after this and I'm free to—whoa, hello there, Heichou's Butt." 

"JEAN!" Marco scolded his partner for his bluntness.

Levi could only grunt and turn away in humiliation as Hanji burst out in laughter.

"Isn't this a bit much?" Jean snorted, as he eyed his Heichou up and down. "I mean, we're a Host Club, not a—"

Hanji held up her hand to stop him. "We'll do what we must. Opportunity for change. Who knows? It could be become Levi's new concept if it attracts enough customers."

Jean laughed at the thought. "I guess it could be worst," he smirked as he slumped down onto the couch, Marco following his actions exactly.

The door burst open again and this time it was Annie who ran in, a blazing expression on her face.

"Hanji! There's an emergency!" she announced, her breath heavy in her voice.

Everyone in the room straightened up, eyes focused on Annie.

"What happened?" Hanji inquired at once.

Annie took a few more moments to catch her breath before she spoke again:

"Commander Erwin is back."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha quick update. I hope you enjoyed this one.  
> The Ereri wasn't as good as I hoped but ehhhh...I tried lol. ♥
> 
> Thanks for reading guys, I'll talk to you again later :3


	6. change of plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> An unexpected host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> The Titan Host Club is anything but routine!
> 
> Every single one of your visits will certainly have a new surprise in store for you! ♥

"He's BACK?! Like right now?! In the shop?!" Hanji panicked.

Annie shook her head. "He just called the club and said they just arrived at the airport. So he'll be here in about 15 minutes."

"15 MINUTES?!" Hanji grabbed her head with both of her hands again. "I ONLY HAVE 15 MINUTES TO GET READY?!"

Jean scoffed from the side. "What's the big deal? Just do it naturally for once."

But Hanji was already pacing back and forth and mumbling rapidly. "15 minutes...I only have 15 minutes to make sure this place is perfect...what to do...what do I do...if I don't do well I may be replaced...goddammit..."

Levi sighed. "Annie, go get anyone who's not hosting or almost done hosting in here. That includes Jaeger and Arlert. Your manager needs reinforcements."

Annie nodded respectfully. "Yes, Heichou." And she left the room.

Minutes later, the Break Room gained the additional presences of Christa, Reiner, Eren, Armin and Petra, as they awaited the commands of their boss. Unfortunately, Hanji was still having her little mental breakdown, as she laid sprawled on the couch, her limbs spread everywhere and her mouth hanging open in the most unattractive manner. Her hair was extremely unkempted and her glasses skewed.

"15 minutes...why...why does he do this to me...?" She was practically sobbing, biting into her fist to prevent herself.

Levi sighed and rolled his eyes, realizing he had to take things into his own hands again.

"Alright, please ignore the emotional lump of garbage behind me and listen to what I have to say," he spoke. His voice was authoritative and clear, as if he were born to do issue commands. "Leonhart, I leave you in charge of the hosting parlour. You will be in charge of assigning customers as you see fit. Remember that you will also have to do your assigned hosting appointments for today. Braun, you'll give her a hand when she needs it and Lenz, you shall be attending to the Commander and his companions once he arrives. Tell your partner to host as usual. As for Kirstein and Bott, I'm afraid we have to cut your break time for tonight but you'll need to get back on the floor. Work together and do as you have been doing."

"Yes, heichou!" Annie, Reiner, Christa, Jean and Marco simultaneously said. They all bowed slightly and left the room. Eren was quite stunned.

"Petra Ral, relay this message to the kitchen staff," Levi continued. "You will be out by the Coffee Counter for the rest of the night, since Four-Eyes will likely be busy with...other things. However, the efficiency in the kitchen should be just as consistent regardless of the kitchen staff being down one member. There should be freshly-made pastries of every kind by the time the Commander gets here. Go now and tell them they have less than 15 minutes to get ready."

"Yes, heichou!" Petra replied whole-heartedly. She too, bowed and left.

"Arlert and Jaeger!"

_Well, shit._

Levi turned to face the two boys and Eren felt a shudder as he stared into Levi's imposing grey eyes. They rendered him obedient, even when he didn't want to be. He shifted in uneasiness when those same eyes narrowed, scanning the both of them from top to bottom.

Finally, he opened his mouth to speak, but Eren seemed to hear only three distinct words:

"Take it off."

* * *

 Armin blinked. "I'm sorry."

Heichou's expression remained consistent. "You heard me, Arlert. Your aprons. Take them off. Do it quickly. We don't have time." He noticed another expression beside Armin's and scoffed.

"Hurry up, Jeager! And stop looking at me like I'm about to eat you alive or something!" Levi growled. Eren seemed quite embarrassed that Levi could already read him so, so easily.

"May I ask why...heichou?" Arlert interjected.

"We're down on hosts in the parlour because of this. The others won't be able to arrive in time. Also, get rid of those waiter vests and change into the form-fitting ones." Levi spoke slowly. Eren and Armin widened their eyes as they realized what Levi was getting at.

"You'll be substitute hosts for the night," he finished. "Do your best and try not to make any mistakes."

Silence.

Armin was the first to break it. "B-but we haven't even been trained or anything yet."

Levi scoffed. "What training? Who do you think was there to train me when the club first opened up? You'll learn on your own. Do what feels natural to you."

 _Natural._ There was that ambiguous word again. Eren shuddered to think that he was about to discover its true meaning within the Host Club.

"Arlert, you'll be taking Table #7 and Jaeger, Table #13."

"Wait, are we seriously doing this?!" Eren exclaimed. "No pointers, no guidance...nothing?!"

"Do you think I would joke around with you, brat?!" Levi scowled. "Get changed and get out there within five minutes! Or else you're both fired." And with one last angry frown, he sauntered out of the room, probably to change out of his uncomfortable pants. The two left behind looked at each other and exchanged confused and terrified looks.

"Hey, Jaeger!"

Eren looked up to see that Levi had poked his head back into the room, his eyebrows as scrunched as ever.

"I swear if I find bigger pants _anywhere_ within this vicinity...you'll be dead meat." And with that, he disappeared once again.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," Eren groaned, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, we _did_ kind sign up for a job in a host club the first place so this is kind of expected..." Armin pointed out.

"Shut up, Armin, it's all your fault that I now have to deal with a sociopathic, four-eyed boss lady and a stingy old man," he complained, and left the room with an angry huff. Once again, Armin could've pointed out that it wasn't his fault at all but instead kept his mouth shut and followed Eren without uttering a word.

* * *

"Wow, you two look good," Ymir jeered, as Eren and Armin according to Levi's adjustments. For something that Levi had magically conjured up within seconds, Eren had to admit that it did look very convincing: no one could tell that everything besides the vest was part of a waiter's uniform.

"Well, let's just hope they'll perform as well as they look," Reiner put in, eying the two up and down. He glanced at his watch. "They've got less than two minutes to get themselves together before the customers start streaming back in."

"Have you two thought of a concept yet?" Christa chirped.

"Concept?" Eren frowned.

"You know? Kind of like your most attractive or distinct characteristic that would appeal to others, that you can use as an image so that customers would find you more relatable."

Armin nodded understandingly, while Eren displayed the opposite reaction.

"For example," Christa continued. "Ymir here is known for her rebellious female image, a girl who is blunt and honest. Annie has her secondary title as ' _The Ice Queen_ ', her image cold, barren, and isolated. They are both very different images, but they appeal to different crowds. Your concept is very important here, but don't worry if you don't know exactly what it is yet...it'll come naturally to you as you work with customers." She gave them an encouraging smile.

"What's your concept, Christa?" Armin asked out of nowhere.

"A blonde, adorable goddess who's completely out of your league," Ymir interjected, dropping her arm around Christa's shoulder casually. "You think I'm kidding but it's honestly the least sarcastic thing I've said all day."

At that moment, Jean came back out from the Staff Quarters, glancing at the clock.

"Aww, look at that, Horseface is back from his wittle pee break," Ymir smiled.

"Why are you guys all still gathered around here?" said Jean. "We have like a minute until the store opens up again. Get off your lazy asses before Hanji decides to take a dump on us all."

"Party pooper..." Ymir mumbled. However, they all became surprisingly obediently as the hosts all graced their ways over to their assigned positions, ready for work. Eren watched as Armin awkwardly seated himself at Table 7, looking around and wondering just how he was going to get started. He caught Eren's eyes and gave him an encouraging look. Eren smiled in returned and, with one last glance to Armin, he too took his seat behind Reiner at Table 13, ready to accept his fate.

Eren scrunched up his sweaty palms and pushed them against his thighs, rocking back and forth nervously. The vest suddenly seemed a little too tight around his abdomen and the bowtie seemed to be choking him with every passing second. He fiddled with it for a bit, and then returned to clenching his hands and rocking back and forth.

"Hey, you gonna be okay there, kiddo?" Eren looked up to see Reiner's head poking up from across the seat. "You don't look so good."

"Y-yeah...I'm fine..." Eren replied.

"Well, you better be...do your best to get yourself together in the next minute."

"Thanks."

As Reiner returned back to his seat, Eren's eyes scanned the room, attempting to distract himself from his nervousness. He saw Annie sitting at Table #1, the seat that gave her the best view of the entire parlour. Ymir and Christa were leaning over the chairs of their table and conversing with Jean and Marco behind them, undoubtedly about the abrupt arrival of the commander. Petra had arrived behind the coffee counter, brewing fresh pots and putting everything into place. Reiner sat ahead of him, playing with his phone, while Armin was across from Eren, head down as if he were desperately trying to focus on something. Hanji was yet nowhere to be see, despite the fact that her respected commander would be appearing in less than five minutes.

The minute moved yet again, as the Staff Doors burst open to reveal Lead Host, his tight pants now gone and replaced with his former, slightly tainted black pants. However, he was no longer wearing his vest or jacket, his collar left unbuttoned. Eren couldn't help gulp as he watched Levi standing next to the Host Ranking Charts and slowly rolling up his sleeves to his elbow, revealing his slender forearms. Eren had to admit, with his serious demeanor and solemn eyes, he was quickly beginning to notice Levi's appeal, and why he deserved his title as the Lead Host.

Suddenly, Levi's eyes glanced upwards and caught Eren staring at him, making him jump in his seat.

_Shit. He caught me._

Eren immediately tore away his gaze and bent his head downwards, twiddling with his thumbs awkwardly and praying that Levi would not come to harass him for his shameless actions. Part of him questioned why he was still somewhat intimidated by the man, regardless of the fact that he had clearly stated he would not bow down to him, and had pretty much spent the last few hours harassing and mocking the man as much as he could.

Eren dared to glance up out of the corner of his eyes and saw that Levi was talking to Petra, but quickly cast his eyes downward again so as to avoid getting caught.

The sounds of chimes suddenly sounded by the door, and Eren felt his hairs stand up as he realized that customers had now started to stream in.

" _Welcome to the Titan Host Club~!_ " the veteran hosts all chimed at once.

His eyes widened as he saw every boy and girl, smiling and laughing at they walked in. His palms felt sweatier and sweatier and they automatically arranged themselves to where they saw fit. Ymir and Christa's table filled up at lightning speed, while Jean and Marco's lagged behind by mere seconds. Annie's table became crowded with dozens of boys within moments, and a parallel pattern occurred as well to Reiner's, except with more females. 

And Eren couldn't even be able comprehend what was going on where Levi was sitting. It seemed he was now hosting groups, because there was suddenly a huddle of at least twenty girls and boys swarming around him, struggling to get as close as possible. If Eren didn't know any better, it seemed that not all of their interactions were completely civil either.

Before long, even Armin got two customers. His face was bright red as he greeted a boy and girl, quickly urging them to take and seat and stealing pleading glances at Eren once in awhile. But it wasn't long before he had to devote all of his attention to his customers, doing his best as a first time host.

Minutes passed by, and Eren still hadn't received a customer.

He felt the sweat trickle down his neck as he glance around, feeling the gnawing anticipation scratching at his insides. He suddenly felt isolated, alone amongst a group where people was supposed to feel welcome. He played his hands awkwardly and he looked around, trying to catch anybody's gaze for help. But of course, they were all too occupied with their job to notice his silent pleading.

Eren gulped nervously. _What if no one ever shows up at all...? What if the hours past by and I don't even get one customer...? I'll be a laughingstock...I'll be...I'll be..._

"Hello there."

Eren's head jolted upwards and found himself looking into a pair of cold, pale eyes. It was a woman with short blonde hair tied neatly up into a bun, and a stoic demeanor on her bespectacled face. Her lips were tightly sealed and her gaze was piercing, her aura seemed to reminding Eren a little bit of Annie. Her face was sharp, and she was undoubtedly very attractive, but in a very unapproachable way.

_Well, it's not what I was expecting but...I'll take it?_

Eren stood awkwardly and cleared his throat.

"Nice to meet you, milady, my name is Eren Jaeger." Sadly, he found himself cringing at his own words.

He swore she almost scoffed at him.

"The pleasure is mutual," she said. "My name is Rico. Please, have a seat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geeeeeez. Felt kind of like a filler chapter. :P
> 
> Sorry I haven't updated in so long. Too damn busy with school.  
> No promises for frequent updates anytime soon but Easter is coming up so I should be able to do something then.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading, and if you have anything to say please feel free to talk to me! ^^


	7. the commander

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> An superior host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> Tonight we have a surprise guest for you! 
> 
> He's sure to be a sight for sore eyes for any of you lonely ladies out there~♥ 

"Um...it's very nice for you to drop by to the Titan's Host Club tonight...milady," Eren said. He gulped silently. He felt as if she could read his every movement, and could see every single drop of sweat that was leaking from his forehead.

"So I see you're...new here?" she spoke slowly.

"Y...yes..." Eren couldn't seem to stop stuttering. "...milady."

"You call me that one more time and I will literally kick your rear end through that window and onto the streets," she said. Her tone remained the same, but she had certainly dropped that barrier of civility that had been keeping Eren safe all this time.

"Geez...what is with everyone and violence around here...?" Eren mumbled to himself, scratching the back of his neck.

"What was that?"

"Absolutely nothing." He forced a beaming, cheesy smile. As much as he wanted to challenge her morals as he did with Levi earlier, he chose to remind himself that she was indeed a customer, and he was now officially working as a host. Though lacking as it was, he still had enough common sense to know not to annoy a customer less than ten seconds into a conversation. That would probably give Hanji a legitimate reason to fire him.

"So...how can I help you today?" Eren tried again, remembering to drop the milady.

"This is a Host Club, not a McDonald's," the lady retorted almost immediately. She crossed her legs and leaned back, as if to visually display her increasing disinterest. "You should know how to help me. Go ahead, entertain me if you can."

Eren was completely stumped. It was his first day of work, he had no instructions, and he was suddenly expected to somehow entertain this cold-faced lady. He shuffled awkwardly in his seat, trying to come up with something, anything that could delay the time a little more without making it seem too awkward. He glanced around the room as subtly as he could, trying to glimpse anything at all that could give him a loophole out of this mess. It was definitely difficult to think straight with Rico's harsh gaze boring into him, not at all helping with his increasing panic.

He tried to recall what he had done earlier with the blonde-haired girl, how he had somehow earned ravishing compliments from her without doing anything at all. He remembered going up to her and then...

And then what?

He had done pretty much _nothing_.

Seconds were ticking by and the delayed time was making Rico seem more and more discontent. Her expression was pretty much nothing but a scowl at this point and Eren felt himself struggling to keep his cool.

_Come on...come on...you can do this...just act natural..._

He looked at Rico and did his best to picture her as the blonde girl from earlier. It seemed to be his best option at this point, and it was all he could do to awaken his memory. He scratched his head for something, _anything_ to say to her. He glanced around again catching sight of Armin's blonde hair in the corner of his eyes.

Suddenly, Eren leaned forward slowly and leaned his chin into his elbow, catching the eye of the refined lady and creating anticipation. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Soooo...baby, are you a 45 degree angle? Because you're a-cutey."

Silence.

At this point Eren really felt like dying, as a specific swear word repeated in his mind over and over again.

 _Why? WHY did I have to think of frikken ARMIN_?!  His smart aleck friend had literally spent hours discussing with Eren the other day about this stupid pick-up line he had found online and how idiotic it was. Though Eren didn't want to listen at the time, he somehow ended up remembering it: maybe because Armin kept talking about it over and over again.

Rico stared at Eren blankly. He cringed, not sure if she wanted to slap him in the face or simply walk out immediately.

Instead, it seemed she took every amount of willpower to remain where she was and retain the slim amount of civility she had left towards Eren.

"Hey, kid," she frowned disdainfully. "If you're done making a joke out of yourself and everyone else who works here why don't you just get out?"

Eren's chest sunk at the harsh statement. He realized that his blunders not only affected his own pride, but also the reputation of the Titan Host Club as a whole. There were other people's jobs at risk here as well, and even if he barely knew any of them at this point, that was no reason for him to ruin it for everyone else.

At this point, Eren breathed a hefty sigh and folding his arms in front of him, relaxing from his stiff position. He looked at Rico with careful eyes, completely dropping what he believed to be his impression of a host.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I guess I honestly don't really know what I'm doing yet. I guess it's my fault for walking straight into something I had no idea of. I'm really sorry to disappoint you but please, don't hold it against the rest of the hosts. If you request someone else I'm sure they'll give you a worthwhile experience. But please...don't judge the entire club because of me."

When Eren looked back up, he was surprised to see that he had piqued Rico's interest, as she looked at him with a more softened gaze and a raised eyebrow.

"Hmm...so you're an honest one," she spoke. "There hasn't been someone like you for awhile, and the last person who was like you became quite a legend later on..."

"Huh?"

Rico leaned forward, resting her chin on her clasped hands. "So...Eren, why did you want to work here even though you have no experience whatsoever?"

Eren shuffled awkwardly, wondering if personal questions were part of the norm around here. Regardless, he'd figured he had screwed up enough already so he might as well answer.

"Well, I was looking for a job, because my older sister needs help paying her tuition for university and stuff," he replied. "And I found out that this Host Club was hiring. It's a good location with good pay and...to be honest, I thought it would be...easy."

"Oh? So it's not easy as you thought?"

"...no."

"So why don't you just quit then? If it's not what you expected?"

Eren wondered if he should spill about Hanji (and her questionable morals) but instead he said: "I don't believe in quitting something that I've already started."

"Even if it's something that seems pointless?"

Eren shook his head. "Anything worth doing is worth doing well. If I've put in my best efforts and it's still not enough, that's when I'm forced to let it go. I'm not a quitter, and in this case I'm definitely determined to one day become a popular Titan Host."

Rico smirked. "Hmm. You've barely started and you already have this kind of resolution."

Eren shrugged. "It's hard not to, what with all this competition and ranking stuff."

"Well, I must say, Eren, you're not at all as disappointing as I thought you would end up being," Rico said, suddenly pulling out her phone.

"Um...thank you? I guess..." Eren replied awkwardly.

Rico pressed her phone to her ear and nodded towards Eren. "Take a break, why don't you?" she spoke. "Go get me some refreshments for the table. I like my coffee black with one sugar. And you can help yourself to anything you want. It'll be my treat. Just leave me alone for a sec."

Eren scampered to his feet and bowed politely, not forgetting to thank his customer. He moved as fast he could without looking rushed towards the coffee counter, where Petra was busy getting orders ready. As Eren got closer, he noticed that her speed was definitely comparable to Hanji's, if not even faster.

"Hey Petra," he breathed, walking up to the counter.

She looked up as she heard the voice of the boy. "Eren!" she beamed. "Can I help you with something?"

"I need a coffee with one sugar for my customer," he repeated Rico's order.

"Still playing waiter, are we?" Petra teased. "I'll get right on it, after I finish these coffees."

"Thanks, Petra."

"By the way, how's the hosting going?" she inquired.

Eren looked down at his feet. "Well....I...uh...I kind of screwed up a little."

"Oh, come on, it couldn't have been that bad."

"I used a math pick-up line."

"Oh."

"Yeah..."

Petra smiled encouragingly. "Hey, don't worry too much. Everyone gets nervous once in awhile. And considering this is your first time, it's expected." She pushed a mug of coffee towards Eren. "Here's your coffee by the way...do _you_ want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good," Eren said as he reached out to grab the mug.

Petra giggled at Eren's eagerness to get back. "Looks like you've got quite the customer by the way...how is she exactly?"

Eren shrugged. "Some stoic lady named Rico."

"Wait...what?"

"I should get back now, she'll probably snap at me if I take too long," Eren smiled at Petra. "Thanks again, Petra!"

"Wait, Eren—!" But the boy had already turned his back and rushed towards the table with the piping hot mug of coffee.

He arrived to see Rico waiting patiently for him, her legs crossed and her phone had disappeared back into her pocket again.

"Took you long enough," she said, pushing her glasses up with her finger.

"I thought you might say that," Eren grinned effortlessly at her as he placed the coffee cup down.

"Hey, don't get too comfortable with me yet, kid," she shot at him, while stirring the black liquid.

"Isn't that my job?"

"You get acquainted with people real fast, don't you?"

"Well...uh...I don't think that's the right way to put it..." Eren mumbled, recollecting his little scuffle with Levi less than a few hours ago.

Rico took a delicate sip of her coffee, not once averting her eyes from Eren. If anything, it was making him a little uncomfortable. He wished this would be over already, even if he was doing a bit better than he thought he would.

"Well look who it is," a familiar voice sounded. Eren looked up and he never thought he would be glad to see Levi standing behind him, looking at Rico with an amused expression.

"Heichou?!" Eren yelped. "What are you doing here?"

Levi chose to ignore Eren. "You haven't been here for five minutes and you're already harassing our new employees? How crudely expected of you," Levi sneered at Rico. Eren cringed at Levi's method of speaking to someone who was a customer.

Rico merely smirked at Levi and crossed her legs, leaning back. "You're one to talk. It's the kid's first day here and evidently you've already got him whining and calling you 'heichou' like a lost puppy."

" _Tch_. As if I was the one who told him about that title to begin with."

"You don't seem to dislike it."

"Look, Brzenska, is he coming or not?"

"How ironic, he's just about here."

Eren was confused for a moment, but immediately he heard the jingle of bells from the direction of the doors.

Whispers broke out amongst the room as a pair of glossy polished shoes stepped into the parlour. The owner of these shoes was a tall and handsome stranger, with ravishingly fair hair and the expected blue eyes to go with it. The room hushed in waves as he passed through with his lips curved into something that was barely a smile, his professional expression displaying his ability to completely neglect the overwhelming attention. He looked like someone straight out of a magazine, with his hair so perfectly unkempt and his sharp and neat attire. Even Eren couldn't help but stare as he walked towards them...but for totally different reasons.

Without thinking, Eren turned to Rico and blurted:

"WOW! What is Captain America  _in the flesh_ doing here in a Host Club?"

Rico glared at him and Eren realized he may have finally gotten a bit too comfortable with her. Instead, he dared to sneak a glance to Levi, and was surprised to see that their new visitor was headed straight towards him.

"Levi...it's been awhile, hasn't it?" the man spoke.

"Tch. Don't speak so regally. As if you'd actually care to visit once in awhile," Levi scoffed.

"I told you, Rico, that he would be hostile to me," the man looked past Levi. Eren suddenly stiffened at the acknowledgement of Rico's name. _Wait...they know each other?_

Rico unfolded her legs and stood up, slowly making her way to stand next to the captain.

"He's been like ever since he knew of my presence in this shop to be honest," Rico said. "Come on, 'heichou', you can speak to me like that but there's no way you can treat your Commander the same way...he is your superior after all. And if anyone were to best understand the system of superiority within these walls, it would be you, wouldn't it?"

"Wait... _commander_?"

All three heads turned towards the interrupting voice, which expectantly belonged to Eren. He stared at the blonde man wide-eyed, having apparently realized something quite impressive about the newcomer.

The visitor cleared his throat. "And you are...?"

"No way..." Eren murmured, staring at the man unabashedly.

Suddenly, he pointed at the newcomer and blurted out:

"ARE YOU _STEVE ROGERS_?!"

Levi let out a groan that sounded as if he had just been kneed in the stomach, while Rico merely stared at the overly eager kid in disgust. The man who was receiving all the attention managed an awkward smile, not entirely sure of how to respond to the sudden accusation.

"Unfortunately...no," he said softly.

Eren blinked once, then again.

"Are you _sure_...?" he drawled out.

"No, he's having an identity crisis," Levi said sarcastically. "For your information, not everyone's an idiotically confused teenager like you. For two seconds I actually thought you'd had the brains to figure out who this man was." He gestured towards his acquaintance. "This man is Erwin Smith, the Commander, ex-host and current owner of The Titan Host Club. In other words, he's your big boss, so you better watch your mouth from now on."

Eren was speechless for a moment, not sure how to react next. Thankfully, Erwin made the first gesture as he extended his hand towards Eren.

"Yes, my name is Erwin Smith. This here is Rico Brzsenka, who also used to be one of my co-hosts along with Levi and Hanji. She is now my right hand woman and secretary, as the manager directly underneath my command. I see you are a new host here...it seems like you're showing promise already since you've dealt with Rico for more than five minutes without her walking out on you," Erwin smiled. "I greatly look forward to working with you."

Eren nervously took the hand and shook it, not sure if he should keep pushing the Captain America thing (because he was so goddamn sure at this point).

"And your name is?" Erwin continued.

"E-Eren," came the reply. "Eren Jaeger...sir."

"It's very nice to meet you, Eren," the commander grinned. "I hope you will continue doing your best for the Titan Host Club from here on out."

"Y-yes!" Eren replied, flustered. "Thank you for having faith in me, sir!" He bowed gratefully to his new superior whom he found he had much respect for.

Levi scoffed. "Skip this formal bullshit, won't you?" He nodded towards Armin, who was in deep conversation with his customers. "There's another fresh slacker over there so why don't you two go and introduce yourself over there and stop taking up space."

"Where's Hanji?" Rico asked suddenly.

"Hyperventilating in the back. Why?" Levi replied simply.

Rico sighed. "We'll see her in a bit." She tilted her head at Erwin, who understood her signal and they both left towards Armin after saying casual goodbyes towards Eren. Levi remained by Eren's side.

"Don't you have customers to attend to?" Eren asked Levi, who showed no signs of moving away.

"They can wait," the Heichou replied. "Some luck you have, getting that wench as your very first customer."

"I know right? I mean she can at least _pretend_ to have some sympathy."

Eren turned and saw that Levi was looking at him with an amused expression. The two exchanged playful looks, displaying their mutual feelings towards Rico. Eren swore Levi almost smiled at him, and the hopefulness that he would was enough for Eren to not look away.

But much to his dismay, Levi was the first to tear away from the fixation, turning around and heading back towards his hosting table.

"You're doing better than I thought you would, kid," Levi spoke. "Keep it up and you may actually end up doing well...though I seriously doubt it."

Eren could only stare in awe at the comment as the raven-haired man stepped away, his back side ever so sturdy and confident.

 

* * *

  _8:55 p.m._

Eren looked tiredly at the clock, realizing the hours had passed by way quicker than he had realized. His customers after Rico had been a breeze. He didn't even know why he had been so worried at the beginning: they just kept spilling in and sitting down at his table. He didn't even have to think much because they kept asking questions and all he had to do was answer them. _"Is that your real hair colour?" "Are you wearing contacts?" "How long have you been working?" "Why are you so cute?" "You're a guy, right?"_ He felt like he had been interviewed for two hours straight and he really felt burnt up at this point, regardless of how amusing it was at the time.

The entire time, he found it difficult to ignore the Commander, with the way he kept visiting each table (including Eren's own) and checking how everyone was doing in a friendly and encouraging manner. He let Christa tend to him for a little bit as part of her duty, but most of the time he and Rico just seemed to be doing a sort of check up of the place. Hanji showed up finally towards the later part of the night, and Eren found it quite amusing how she kept fluttering around, boasting about all the improvements she'd done to the shop. Besides Hanji, Eren noticed that Erwin also spent a lot of time with Levi, casually sitting at his table whenever there were no customers and engaging in some thorough conversations whenever he could. Thinking back to their exchanges when the Commander had first arrived, Eren was curious as to what the relationahip between Erwin and Levi truly was. 

As his final customer left with a wink and a "I'll definitely see you again soon~♥", Eren waited until she was completely out the door before he completely crashed onto the table and slumped his head onto the cold, hard surface. His half-lidded eyes squinted around the room, taking in the remnants of the host club for the night. All the hosts had practically finished and were helping with the cleaning, except for Reiner and Annie who were finishing up conversations with their last customers for the night. 

Suddenly, Eren felt a sturdy hand hit the back of his head and slam his nose into the table.

"OW!" he yelped. "Who—"

Eren froze as he looked into the sharp, grey eyes of his captain, seemingly fixing him into his seat and rendering him still. Levi's arms were folded neatly over his chest and his gaze was darkened with disapproval.

"Who gave you the right to slack off while everyone else is cleaning?" he snapped.

Eren sat up and rubbed his head tiredly. "I'm sorry, Heichou...I'm just a little bit worn out," he replied. _Geez, since when were you so passive?_ said a nagging voice in the back of Eren's mind.

"Does that mean you'd rather me drag you up by the scruff of your neck than get up by yourself?"

"No, sir. I'm fine..." Eren groaned as he dragged himself to his feet, gripping onto the back of his bench for balance. Eren swore he could literally _feel_ the disgust resonating from Levi's glare without even looking up.

" _Tch_. Only one night's session and you're already out of strength." Levi scorned. "How the hell are you going to do this every single night for the next few months?""

"I'll manage," Eren muttered, as he grabbed the leftover mugs on his table. "I mean, I kind of have to." He slowly wandered away from Levi and headed back towards the kitchen where the dishes would be done.

"What a youthful, fighting spirit," Levi scoffed. "It's adorable."

"Hey, discouraging me now won't help _you_ out much either."

"Maybe, but it may be worth it."

"Worth _what_ _?_ "

Levi didn't answer, and merely sauntered past Eren, flicking a speck of dust off a nearby table as he headed towards the back. Eren's sudden fuming anger nearly made him forget about how tired he was. At this point, the parlour was completely empty of customers, with only the hosts, Hanji, Erwin and Rico left behind. The kitchen staff had already left earlier, having finished their work for the night.

"Hey, Eren, you alright?"

Eren turned around to see Armin running up towards him, an encouraging smile on his face that seemed to make Eren feel better almost immediately. He made his way next to his friend and grabbed the mugs from his hands.

"I noticed you had a lot of customers today, way more than me," Armin said. "You must be exhausted. I mean, I'm pretty tired myself and I didn't work nearly as hard as you did."

Eren shrugged. "I guess, at the end of the day, it's still better than waiter duty"

"Definitely, and now we can both go home, call it a night and—

Suddenly, Hanji burst out from the staff doors, nearly bumping into Eren, with Erwin and Rico following behind her.

"Everyone!" she called out, catching everyone's attention. "I have an announcement!"

Once she was certain everyone's eyes were on her, she threw her hands up in air and said ecstatically:

"WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A KARAOKE PARTY!"

Silence.

Levi suddenly appeared out from nowhere with his signature deadpan expression.

"What?" he lamented.

Hanji beamed. "Come on! It'll be fun! Erwin and Rico haven't come back in awhile and this'll be a nice way to catch up again! I know a really good place that's just about a ten minute drive away. Plus, we can also celebrate the recruitment of Eren and Armin while we're at it! What do you say, huh, huh?"

Eren almost snorted. Hanji sure was great at making it look like she wasn't using people for slave labour.

"You disappeared for pretty much the entire time Erwin was here in the first place and now you suggest this as a means to 'catch up'? At this time of night?" Levi said. "Why must you enjoy the burden of inconvenience so much, my dear Head Manager?"

"Awwwww. Don't be such a party pooper. " Hanji playfully punched Levi in the shoulder. "It's only 9 o' clock, that's when the best karaoke parties start anyways. We can have a few drinks, sing a few songs and it'll be totally awesome. Everyone else is in, right?"

Silence.

"Everything's on me," she finished.

"What a great idea!!" Ymir responded at once, with surprising enthusiasm. "I'm in!"

"I'll go with Ymir, she needs someone to look after her drinking," Christa followed suit.

"Yeah, I'm cool with it," Reiner grinned.

"I'm in. Marco's in too," Jean responded, slinging his arm around Marco's shoulder.

Annie sighed. "I guess. Why not..."

"Let me text my sister," Eren added, turning away to pull out his phone.

Armin looked horrified. He pulled Eren aside.

"Eren, what are you doing?! We still have work tomorrow morning and you just said you were tired two seconds ago!" he exclaimed.

"Dude, this shitty job can wait. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to binge on crappy karaoke food and sing as many crappy songs as we want," Eren replied, staring at his phone screen as he typed a few words quickly before tucking it away.

"Eren, _you can't even sing!_ "

"That's the point of karaoke! Don't you know that? Besides, who says we have to sing? It'll be a great time to get to know everyone, and frikken Commander America is here. It seems like he doesn't come here often and he's pretty much a celebrity so we might as well stay."

"Can you stop calling him that?"

"Come on, you know he's the same person."

Armin rolled his eyes. "Fine. But if anything goes wrong, it's all your fault this time. And you're _not_ blaming me again."

Eren grinned at his buddy. "Anything for you, Armin."

"Soooo Levi, are you going now?" Hanji was drawling at Levi.

"Dragging along a band of freeloading misfits doesn't do more to persuade me, I hope you know that," Levi replied coldly.

At this point Erwin stepped up, and stood beside Levi. Eren couldn't help but look in awe at the height difference.

"Come on, Levi, I haven't been back in awhile," he said. "Can't you at least do me a favour?"

Levi snorted at Erwin's comment. "Since when have you done _me_ any favours?"

Erwin smiled. "For old time's sake, come on." Eren found he was more than shocked to see Levi returning the smile _._ _He's capable of smiling, oh my god._

"OKAY THEN! IT'S SETTLED!" Hanji squealed. "Now to arrange the rides because I'm sure as hell not walking there. How many cars do we have amongst us?"

"Three," Reiner replied. "Yours, mine, and Levi's."

"Okay then," Hanji smiled. "It'll be my honour to take the Commander and Rico first of all..."

"Christa and I will go with you too, Hanji," Ymir volunteered. "I don't think I trust anyone else here to drive me."

"You trust Hanji of all people to drive you?" Rico questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I know right?" Ymir laughed. "It's a long story."

"I can take Annie, Jean and Marco then," Reiner said. "And if anyone else wants to hop in I have one more seat..."

"We'll take the blonde kid," Annie piped up.

Reiner gave her a weird look. "Why?"

She shrugged. "He's smaller. It'll save space for Jean and Marco who would be squished in the back otherwise."

Reiner rolled his eyes. "I love how she automatically assumes she's sitting in the front," he muttered. He caught Armin's eye.

"Okay, shota-boy, you're coming with us," Reiner grinned. Armin nodded hesitantly. "Alrighty then, who's left?"

Eren froze, realizing what was about to happen.

"Eren!" Hanji called out. Eren merely shuddered, trying not to think about the inevitable and merely looked down at his feet.

"It looks like you're going alone with Levi then!"

Eren found himself shaking as he looked up, only to meet eyes with Levi. The man had a half-frown on his face and was clearly not too pleased about his sudden situation.

_Wellll shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phewww!  
> I'm glad I got this one out!
> 
> I stayed up pretty late checking it over and stuff. Thanks for staying with me lol. 
> 
> Yeah Eren and Levi are both dumb shiets so I apologize for the slow build. Maybe I'll get them some action in Le prochaine chapitre (hey, a lot can happen in 10 minutes). Just kidding.
> 
> We'll see... :P


	8. one hell of a drive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A hospitable host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> Want to request a different location for a meeting with a host tonight for a change of scenery? 
> 
> Our hosts are great drivers, so we'll personally take you there...free of charge of course! ^^

"Okay, Eren, we're going first! Levi'll probably be done in just a second!" Hanji waved from the front door, as she locked it from the outside. She turned and grinned at him one last time before following Erwin and the rest towards her car out in the back.

Eren was sitting at one of the hosting tables, patiently waiting for Levi. He was once again dressed in the jeans and hoodie he had arrived in, having changed out of his host uniform.

He looked up to Reiner's crew still standing around the front doors, also completely changed into casual attire and ready with their bags, probably ready to leave within a few seconds.

Suddenly, Eren felt someone poke him in the shoulder. He looked up to see Armin looking over him with a concerned expression.

"Eren, are you going to be okay?" Armin asked.

"Yeah, sure. Why not? It's just a ride," Eren said, more confidently then he felt.

"Are you sure you don't want to switch spots with me?"

Eren waved his hand dismissively. "Nah. Then he'll think I'm afraid of him or something and we don't want that."

"Hey, Shota-Boy! We're ready to go!" Reiner's voice called from the front. Eren and Armin heard the jingling of the door chimes as Jean, Marco and Annie exited the shop, while Reiner gestured for Armin to hurry.

Armin looked solemnly to Eren, who nodded at him. Armin smiled weakly and waved to him, before running out the door, leaving Eren all alone in the shop.

He felt extremely nervous for some reason, wondering if he was going to be able to survive what was going to be the most vulnerable ten minutes of his life.  
 _What's up with you, Eren? Why are you chickening out now? You were perfectly capable of yelling at him a little earlier._

He tried to reassure himself, but for some reason he felt that his sentiments regarding Levi had already changed within those short hours.

Eren jolted as he suddenly felt a light touch his shoulder. He looked up to see Levi walking past him, looking neat in a navy blue cardigan fastened over a white button-up, with black skinny jeans to match. Levi brushed off an invisible speck off his shoulder and hoisted the black strap of his messenger bag onto his shoulder.  Eren didn't know how to react to this version Levi, who suddenly looked so much more approachable in his casual attire.

"Let's get going, boy," Levi said, as he turned back to look at Eren. "We don't have all night." Eren stood up obediently without saying a word and followed Levi out the doo., Levi turned off the lights and stepped out of the shop, the door closing and locking behind him. They walked around the back to the parking lot and Eren smirked as he saw the blinking lights of the only car left in the lot. _Pfft...of course he drives a black car..._

"Hurry up, brat, the least you can do is walk," Levi muttered, walking down the dimly lit street.

"Yes, Heichou," Eren stuttered as he stumbled beside Levi. He scurried after his "boss" and stumbled into the passenger seat next to him. Levi momentarily started the car and drove out as soon as their seat belts were in place.

"Please stop calling me that outside of that place, it's embarrassing as hell," Levi scowled suddenly. "You can try sucking up to me all you want but I assure you, it will  _never_ work."

"Um...what should I call you then?" Eren asked, looking over at his driver.

"Normal people tend to use something called names, if I remember correctly."

"Then...L-Levi?" Eren stumbled over his words. Calling the man by his name didn't feel very right on his tongue for some reason. As if he were never meant to naturally address the man as his equal. 

"On second thought, if you insist on being difficult, you can call me whatever the hell you want," Levi grumbled.

Eren smiled in amusement at the thought. "Then how about something cute like _...honey~_?"

"Say something like that again and you're limping to the place," Levi scowled.

Eren clasped his hands behind his head and leaned backwards onto the headrest, smirking contently to himself.

"Relax, won't you, old man?" Eren jeered. "I'm not flirting with you. I just figured you haven't heard someone call you that in a while and thought you could use a little favour."

"I'm a host, do you really think I haven't been called that in a while?" Levi retorted.

"Oh yeah...I forgot people actually like you," Eren said, shrugging.

"It's enough to make a living."

Eren suddenly bore his eyes into Levi, scouring every inch of his body from head to toe with his vision. Eren kept a puzzled expression on his face, as Levi shuffled uncomfortably in his seat due to the sudden burdensome attention.

"Hey, brat, can you stop staring at me like you're about to devour me?" Levi said.

"Shh. I'm trying to figure out what people like so much about you," Eren said.

"By staring at me like a vulture?"

"Well, your personality's shit so it has to be something on the outside, doesn't it?"

The car slowed to a stop as they approached a red light. Levi took this opportunity to look over and catch Eren's eyes, which had still been scouring up until that moment.

"Look, you little shit—"

Levi had opened his mouth to say something, but then he noticed something about the boy's expression. His train of thought seemed to slip away as the two sat there, fixated by each other's gazes.

They stayed like that for a few moments, Eren's vivid green eyes reflecting in the pupil's of Levi's steel grey ones. Eren felt his breath suddenly becoming heavier and his pulse quicken as the moment became more and more dragged on.

Eren didn't know what to do, whether to pull away or to keep looking. He suddenly felt something draw him closer to the man, as if—

_**BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!** _

Eren nearly jumped out of the car as the horn blared from the car from behind. They both tore their gazes away from each other to realize that the light had already turned green for awhile now, and the car behind them had become quite impatient at this point. Eren looked over to see Levi also quite flustered, muttering a curse word under his breath while hastily stepping on the gas and accelerating just a bit too roughly. 

The remaining five minutes of the drive went on in a tense silence. Eren pretended as if he were looking out the window the entire time, when in reality he was really trying to hide a reddened expression which he really couldn't comprehend the reason behind.  Levi did he best to stay focused on the road, all while trying ignore every little tiny movement of the brat, which had suddenly become such agonizing distractions for some reason. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REEEEALLY short update.  
> I should be working on physics right now but I have Riren feels rn lol
> 
> I just needed to release it.
> 
> Karaoke party for sure next chapter plx anticipate :P  
> TYVM ♥


	9. karaoke night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A talented host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> We're all about the service, so feel free to request a performance from any of our hosts! 
> 
> I mean, we can't all sing but we'll all definitely try...but only for you! ^^ 

_"De..AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAataaaa toki no natsukasiiiiIIIIII~IIIII! ManaAAAAAAAAzashiiiiii...wasurenaaaIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII~!"_

Eren apathetically munched on some sketchy looking chips as he listened to Hanji's interesting rendition of the popular song, though one would have expected him to show more reaction (something more like Jean, who was still covering his ears and muttering to himself like a madman).

The young boy had already braced himself when Hanji announced that she wanted to sing the Sailor Moon Theme Song. Regardless of his preparation, thirty seconds into the song he still found himself quite terrified. After a minute, he was at the edge of sanity, but a few seconds later, he somehow became accustomed to it. And so, there he was, after two whole minutes of the horrible screeching, passively chewing on his dry chips while staring blankly at his new boss, his expression deadpan.

"Oh god, she is so fucking gone..." Ymir drawled, resting her head on Christa's shoulder. Ymir's face was also quite red, as she watched Hanji with lifeless eyes. Eren noted that this was the first time ever that Ymir had said something that wasn't twisted with sarcasm and ridicule.

They had barely been in the karaoke booth for over an hour, and already the once professional members of The Titan Host Club had already been reduced to lowly states. The night had started off normally enough: playful banter, teasing conversations between all the members. Eren even managed to talk civilly with the Commander a few times, and he had felt extremely proud of that.

Eren dropped the bag of chips and picked up his soft drink, sipping it casually as he observed his _current_ surroundings. There were bottles after bottles of beer strewn all over the coffee table, with the half-opened bags of chips, candies and other junk adding the finishing touches to the mess. Everyone else in the room, aside from Armin, Christa and himself, was sporting adorable blushes, some redder than others. For example, Rico's and Annie's were light and pretty pink in colour whereas Hanji and Jean looked as if every single red blood cell in their bodies had officially congregated in their faces.

"Hey Eren!" Eren turned to see Armin trying to catch his attention over the loud music. There was an uncomfortable look on his face.

"WHAT?! ARE WE OUT PAST YOUR BEDTIME?!" Eren screamed over yet another attempt of Hanji's to hit a high note.

Armin shook his head angrily at the attempt at embarrassment.

"Stop eating so much crap!" Armin shouted. "That's the sketchiest food I've ever seen in my life!" He nodded towards the bag of red chips that Eren had been eating, with a label that said "DELICOIUS TIDBITS" on the front.

"Why? They're good...and more importantly, free of charge," Eren said, picking up the bag once again.

"I really wouldn't trust a company who can't even spell their own brand name properly."

"It could've been the guy's name for all you know... _Mr. Delicoius_." Eren stuffed at least another five chips into his mouth.

Armin rolled his eyes, realizing that his efforts were futile. At the very least, Eren had something to distract himself from the blistering pain in his ears.

The door suddenly opened and Eren jolted upwards, nearly spilling the bag of chips out of his hands. He dared sneak a peek at the owner of the slender silhouette, who had finally returned to the room from which his presence had been missed for a few minutes now. If Eren had properly looked, he would've seen the priceless bitter expression on Levi's face as he realized Hanji was still singing.

"Goddammit..." Levi groaned, scratching his head. "And I thought I had loitered around for long enough..."

Ymir (one of the few people who could still manage comprehensive sentences) threw both her arms up in glee when she saw caught sight of Levi.

"WHOOO~! Heichou made it in time for the highlight!" she cheered.

"What highli—" He suddenly turned to Hanji and widened his eyes in horror as she took a deep breath.

"MIRACL-REU _OOOOOOHHHH **R**_ ** _OMANCEEEU_ _UUUUUuuuuuuuUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"_**

Eren nearly fell off of the couch after hearing the inhumane noise. Even the overbearingly polite Armin had to cover his ears beside Eren and mutter an "Oh god..." Levi had  a murderous glare on his face, aimed directly at Hanji, as a brief string of profanities leaked from the Heichou's lips. Everyone else seemed knocked out of their drunken state at sound of the uncommon vocal display, except for Ymir who had cleverly clapped her hands tightly over her ears beforehand, a smug smile on her lips.

"What the fuck was that?!" Jean grunted, blinking rapidly and rubbing at his eyes.

Levi walked over in an angry stride to the mini stage where Hanji was standing.

"That's it, give me that mike!" he growled, as he sought to wrestle away what truly was a weapon of mass destruction within the tipsy woman's hands. Eren noticed that there was not the slightest hint of pink on Levi's face, regardless of him having already downed at least one bottle of alcohol earlier with Erwin. In fact, Levi seemed wide awake, and if anything, even more assertive than usual.

But, it's not as if Eren would've noticed because he had spent this entire time trying to avoid the man and his imposing gaze. He couldn't bear to go through that weird awkwardness again.

Hanji finally stumbled back to her seat between Erwin and Rico when Levi had finally wrenched the microphone away from her hands. She draped her arms around her companions (who barely had to strength to resist) when she noticed that Levi was still standing on stage, clutching the microphone.

And she didn't hesitate to seize the opportunity immediately.

"YOOO LEVI! DO US A NUMBER!" she announced, in a voice that was surprisingly stable.

Levi looked appalled, as if she had just suggested him to strip down in front of everyone or something. _"What?"_ he managed.

Hanji threw her arms around pointlessly. "Come on man! You never sing....anymore! COME ONNNNN." She gestured for everyone to help with the encouragement and cheers erupted from every corner of the room, mostly because half of them didn't even know what was going on anymore.

 _"Tch._ " Levi scoffed. He disregarded the noise and walked forwards to step off the stage and place the microphone down onto the table, at which point Hanji conducted a chorus of angry booing.

"Come on, Heichou! Live a little!" cried a voice.

Levi looked up and realized that it was the cheeky Eren who had spoken. There was a defiant expression on the brat's face, as if he wanted to challenge Levi, as if he were trying to say that Levi didn't have the guts to perform in front of everyone.

_Hmmm...you think you're cocky, brat?_

"COME ON, LEVI! DO IT FOR _ERWIN_!" Hanji was screaming. But Levi had already picked up the mike, retracing his steps back onto the small platform and placing it onto the mic stand. Cheers erupted as they realized that Levi was actually, really going to perform, an event that many of them had never even dared to _dream_ about seeing. Levi noticed Eren staring expectantly at him in the corner of his eyes, but he chose not to respond. The brat's ego couldn't be satisfied this early.

Levi cleared his throat and brought the mike down to his lips.

"So...what song do you idiots want me to sing?" he almost growled into the mike.

Hanji threw her head back and forth. "I dunnooooo~! What do the customers usually want him to sing to them?"

"Pomp & Circumstance!" Ymir piped.

"Haaaaaa. That's so overplayed and expected of him at this point," Hanji chuckled.

"The World Is Mine!" Christa giggled.

"Psh. As if anyone could ever live up to Sasha and Connie's rendition of the song ever again...though Levi singing a Hatsune Miku song _may_ make my night..."

"That song about a female dog wearing a mask or somezziiing..." Reiner offered.

"Again, too expected." Hanji waved her hands dismissively. "Come on, people! Think of something before he gets bored and leaves."

Before he could stop himself, Eren blurted out a song title that had everyone's eyes on him instantaneously.

The corner of Hanji's lips lifted to resemble something like that of a smile. Jean and Marco were nudging each other drunkenly while everyone else glanced at Levi in anticipation. Levi remained still,yet to show a reaction to the suggestion.

Hanji leaned forward, interested. "What did you just say, Eren?"

Eren repeated the song title, louder and with more confidence this time, once again glancing at Levi. Levi snorted at the brat; the kid was definitely challenging him at this point. After all, he had chosen a song that would be deemed relatively difficult to sing by most people.

"Hmmm...do you know the lyrics, Heichou-sama?" Hanji inquired.

"I think that would be the point of the screen in front of me."

Hanji groaned in frustration. "I _meant_ whether you know the song enough to sing it. But if you're going to be like this, screw you. You're singing it whether you know it or not. CHRISSSSTA! TYPE IT IN!"

The music blared loudly from the speakers immediately. The rhythm was smooth and neat, undoubtedly suiting the host. He remained stoic, not moving an inch regardless of his enthusiastic audience. He glanced at Eren, who was leaning forward with interest, anticipating what his captain's voice would be like. The music seemed to take forever to build up, but as soon as the countdown began from three, Levi caught Eren's eyes and stared directly into them as he opened his mouth to sing the first lines.

And everyone went wild.

Levi almost smirked when he saw Eren's eyes widen in surprise. And they certainly had reason to. The brat couldn't have chosen a better song for him to sing, despite it being his first time singing it. His low and sultry vocals seemed to suit the tone of the song surprisingly well. He seemed to hit every note perfectly and portray the emotional aspects in a glorious manner.

As the song went on, slowly Levi found himself getting into the rhythm, as he started gripping the mic with both hands and swaying back and forth to the music. By the time the bridge hit, he was practically embracing the mic stand, overflowing with emotions as he poured his heart into the song. His audience was practically in tears, and in order to thank the kid for his suggestion, Levi sang the rest of the song staring at Eren and only Eren. The brat himself was pretty tough, unwavering as Levi vocalized the passionate lyrics with such an intense look. It slightly irked Levi that he was unable to evoke at least some sort of reaction out of Eren: even the slightest sign of being flustered would've satisfied him.

At last, the song rolled to a dramatic stop, and Levi found himself daring enough to even strike a slight pose. Hanji stood up and starting screaming incomprehensible things in delight while applauding manically, with almost everyone else instantly following suit. Armin and Christa exclaimed polite cheers while Eren merely sat there. Levi couldn't quite tell whether he was unimpressed or stunned. 

"WOOOO!!! LEVI! BRO!!! YOU ROCK!" Jean screamed, making the rocker sign with his left hand and thrusting it into the air. Marco grimaced in embarrassment at his friend's display.

"I feel strange after listening to him..." Reiner mused, as he took another swig at his bottle despite Christa's protests.

Erwin and Rico were sitting in a laid-back manner, looking quite pleased at the performance of their co-worker.

Levi took one last mocking bow and was about to step off the stage when Hanji stopped him.

"WAIT!" she screeched. "Don't move!"

"What are you up to now, shitty glasses?" Levi groaned into the mic.

Everyone stared at the boss lady in anticipation, as she stayed silent for a few moments. Then she tilted her head in a specific direction.

The direction where Eren was sitting.

Unfortunately, the new recruit noticed immediately and flinched, which only acted to give Hanji further encouragement. Levi noticed as well, and his eyes widened in caution of what Hanji was about to do.

"Hey...shitty glasses...don't you dare even think about it..." Levi warned, a dangerous tone in his voice.

"AWWWWW COME ON, EREN!" Hanji squealed, leaping over to where Eren was seated at light speed. Eren yelped at Hanji's swift appearance as she grabbed his wrist and practically tossed him onto the stage with strength that was extremely surprising for a drunk woman. Cheers erupted once again as Eren stood awkwardly next to a scowling Levi. He saw Armin looking at him in horror as Eren recalled the conversation he had with his friends earlier.

_"Eren, you can't even sing!"_

_"That's the point of karaoke! Don't you know that?"_

Eren glanced at Levi (who was looking extremely pissed at this point), and recalled his breath-taking performance. The performance of somehow who could clearly sing.  

_Well shit._

"Hey, stupid four-eyes!" Levi yelled into the mic. "What makes you think I'm going to sing with this brat just because you tell me to?"

"OH SHUT UP!" Hanji yelled. "I SAW YOU TWO MAKING LOVEY EYES TO EACH OTHER AT THE END THERE. TAKE THIS AS A FAVOUR."

Levi was taken aback for once. " _Tch_. Shitty woman, when did I ever—"

But he was interrupted by a chorus of  _oohs_ coming from Ymir, Marco  & Jean. Eren felt mortified. He glanced at Armin, and saw that his friend's face was buried in his hands from embarrassment. Eren didn't dare to look at Levi, and he could only hope that everyone would be to drunk to remember everything in the morning.

Hanji shrugged as if she had made an innocent statement. "Hey, if I'm wrong, just do a duet with each other. That'll prove everything."

Levi gripped the mike and screamed into it. "THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!"

Eren finally spoke up. "Hanji-san, I'm sorry but I really can't sing—"

Hanji waved her hands dismissively. "Oh! Stop being modest! You look like you'd be a great singer!" Eren glared at Armin, who had stifled a laugh at the comment.

Hanji turned over to Christa to whisper a song title in her ear. Her face brightened immediately as she preceded to type the code in, making Eren curious as to what song she had chosen. It was only when Reiner tossed a mike at him that Eren realized that this was really happening.

And Levi was likely going to murder him after he hears his voice.

"I'm going to the washroom," Armin said suddenly. And just like that, Armin got up and abandoned his friend, likely not wanting to suffer the second-hand embarassment that was inevitably coming.

_Oh god oh god why. Why didn't I just agree to sing with Hanji instead?_

Dread washed over him as familiar music blared from the speakers. It was a slow and seductive song, the beat extremely smooth and charismatic. He happened to know the song very well but only because he had sang it once before at another karaoke party and people were still talking about it a week later.

And _not_ because it was good.

Eren looked helplessly over to Levi, who glared at him, as if it was somehow his fault that they were in this predicament. Eren returned the dismayed look. _As if it was_ me _who started the whole "lovey eyes" things_. Fortunately, the music started to slow down, and Eren nodded at Levi as a sign for him to start first.

The lyrics dropped slowly from Levi's lips, almost as if he were trying to tease his listeners. Eren felt his breath hitch in his throat when Levi started moving. Levi'sright hand gripped the mike tightly while the fingers of his left hand barely lingered on the stand, moving them slowly up and down and then back up again. Eren never remembered the song being so sensual. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Levi, who eyes were now closed, his voice practically whispering the lyrics.

Eren could feel the blood pounding in his ears as he stared at Levi. He felt a strange lurch in his stomach as Levi held that last note for just a bit longer than he should have, cutting it off with a breathy sigh which caused Hanji to cat-call shamelessly from the side. Suddenly, part of Eren almost wished he could sing properly, just so that he could do this properly with Levi.

But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Eren was so busy being occupied with his thoughts of Levi that he didn't even notice Levi had stopped singing for quite a while now. It wasn't until Levi turned to look at him with a "what-the-fuck-are-you-doing" look that he finally realized he had forgotten to sing.

Eren cleared his throat awkwardly, turning to look at Hanji and the others, who were likely expecting him to live up to Levi's enticing performance. Unfortunately, provocative was one of the last things that Eren knew how to do well, especially through singing.

So he decided to do one of the things he did best instead.

_"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah~!"_

Eren had planted feet firmly, tilted his head backwards and did a high pitch squeal that nearly made Levi fall over in surprise. Reiner did a spit take on his beer while everyone else stared, stunned, as Eren put on a devilish expression and continued with his rocker's rendition of the love ballad. He could literally _feel_ Levi's eyes bore into his disgust as he headbanged towards his audience and did another high pitched squeal. Thankfully, considering his audience's state of mind, they got into the mood pretty quickly and started cheering wildly.

The chorus hit and it was time for the two to sing together. It was the most catastrophic and distorted harmony of all time, with Levi desperately trying to stay on pitch while Eren was busy screaming the lyrics to an entirely different tune. It became more distracting still when Eren started dancing around Levi and headbanging right next to him.

Suddenly, Eren felt the mike being grabbed out of his hand. He realized that Levi had taken it away from him, his face reeking in distaste. Levi continued singing while keeping an eye out for Eren, trying to predict what antics he would come up with next.

Eren tilted his head. His eyes glinted mischievously: he was not letting Levi have a solo stage.

Even if he couldn't sing anymore...he could certainly still dance.

Before he could hesitate, he let the boisterous atmosphere convince him to rush over to Levi's side, putting a hand firmly on his shoulder. Levi's eyes widened his horror as Eren dragged the hand across Levi's back and ended up on the other side. He faked a needy expression and starting doing a stupid dance by gyrating his arms and legs beside Levi. When he finally got the reaction he wanted with his comical dance, he changed his focus back to Levi, trying to reenact the lyrics as over dramatically as possible. In one swift motion, Eren reached over and dragged his hand slowly over Levi's chest, mimicking the slow rhythm of the music.

He heard Hanji screaming like a rabid fangirl, as Levi shot him a death glare while still trying to keep his voice steady. Eren strutted exaggeratedly with a dorky expression on his face and ended up behind Levi. He looped his arms around his Heichou's waist, surprised to discover how tight it was. Once his hands were at the front he stopped, waiting for Levi's response.

"You know, you could always just tell me to stop," Eren whispered into Levi's ear. He never knew he could become so damn determined just to _annoy_ someone. 

Eren moved to Levi's side, and bent forwards with a mocking expression, shaking his butt next to Levi's hips. Unfortunately for him, the music chose to end at that very moment.

Levi didn't even waste one second.

He raised his leg and kicked Eren's butt with all his strength, causing him to pitch forward and off the side of the stage, landing face-first into the floor. Despite the clear act of violence, the crowd didn't seem to notice at all and was too busy cheering as if it had been an award-winning performance of some sort. People were toasting and dumping beers down their throats, chanting "EREN! EREN! EREN!" like crazy people.

Suddenly, Eren felt Levi grab his arm. Before he could respond, Eren was dragged out of the room and into the empty hallway

"What stunt were you trying to pull there, brat?" Levi growled. "Did you really want to die early?"

"I'm sorry," Eren laughed. "I guess I got a little carried away."

Levi sighed. "I knew you were idiotic but I never knew you were _that_ idiotic."

"Oh come on, it wasn't _that_ bad," Eren protested.

Levi raised an eyebrow. "Really...? Did you even know what you were doing?"

Eren shrugged. "Not really, I was just trying to be stupid, to be quite honest. It's how I survive all karaoke parties."

Levi said nothing, wondering if the brat was still trying to play with him.

Suddenly, Levi took a step towards Eren, a slightest smirk on his face.

"What are you doing...?" Eren asked slowly, suddenly afraid. He felt his back touch the wall behind him, and realized he was out of space to back away.

"Being stupid, as you would call it," Levi retorted. He leaned forwards and put his face right next to Eren's. Without notice, he breathed a sigh onto the rim of Eren's ear.

Eren jumped at the bare contact, pushing Levi away.

"Hey! That tickles!" he yelped, shaking a little.

"Now you know exactly what you were doing to me up there," Levi smirked.

"Yeah, well, I....I did it on purpose!"

"As did I...did you want another demonstration?"

Without waiting for an answer, Levi pushed Eren tightly against the wall and leaned even closer. Eren closed his eyes as he felt the familiar sensation on his ear. It turned out, Levi did drink after all. Eren could feel his head spinning as he inhaled the tiniest hint of alcohol.

"Party's over, brat," Levi whispered as softly as he could. "You can walk home tonight"

And just like that, he let go of Eren and disappeared back into the karaoke room in a heartbeat. Eren was about to run in after him but then he heard Levi telling everyone to wrap things up. Mumbles and groans of protests broke out, but they were quickly followed by the shuffling of feet as the crew hurried to clean everything up.

Realizing that there were many more drunk people than designated drivers, Eren wondered if that was part of the reason why he had to walk home. With his heart feeling like it was about to leap out of his chest, Eren skulked towards the male washroom in search of Armin.

As he did so, he recalled of his wondering why Levi was considered so attractive earlier. Levi may have been short, but his serious demeanor seemed to make people forget about his lack of height. Before Eren could help himself, his mind started to drift. He wondered Levi's arms looked like underneath those sleeves, how his hair felt whenever he ran his fingers through them, and whether or not he was or had ever been in a relationship with someone before.

Eren was musing over these seemingly prohibited thoughts, when Armin had finally appeared. Eren told him about their situation, to which Armin nodded and followed Eren out of the karaoke place. As they walked out the door, Eren was glad he had manage not to bump into Levi and the others again.

Eren sighed to himself. He couldn't believe he didn't see it coming.

The reasons behind Levi's attractiveness had hit him like a brick wall.

And judging by the way his ears still ringed like crazy, it definitely was going to be a _real_ problem by tomorrow......

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is awkward, I updated without writing my little A/N at the end :3
> 
> For those of you curious about what songs Levi and Eren sang...well, I left it open-ended for you guys to use your own imagination. I certainly had my own idea of what songs to base the vague descriptions on, but I'm pretty sure different people have different ideas of what song they think would be perfect for Levi to sing. To pinpoint it to one specific song may make it a little...biased. Maybe he really did sing that Hatsune Miku song in the end idk :P
> 
> I've been thinking that I should actually start responding to comments from now on, because I think that'd be more interactive on my behald ^^ Idk why I didn't before, I guess I just didn't want to seem too...much lol
> 
> Thank you so much for reading though, and you have no idea how much I appreciate it.
> 
> Also, I officially started my anime tumblr where you can also keep up-to-date with this fanfic at secretami.tumblr.com. If you want to talk to me there that'd be great too ^^ I post a lot of Ereri shiets :P 
> 
> Again tankyu and more fun next time ;P


	10. nee-san

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A bonding host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> Don't forget your family members! They're always a treat to entertain. ~♥
> 
> Bring your loved ones to The Titan Host Club for an unforgettable evening! 

It had been a long night.

After wandering through the empty streets for about half an hour, Eren had parted ways with Armin. He then preceded to his own house, which was less than a block away.

Eren fumbled with his keys to open the door before stumbling inside, glancing at the clock as he kicked his shoes off.

_11:42? Damn, that walk took way longer than I thought it would..._

He made his way up to his bedroom, throwing all his stuff on the ground without even bothering to turn on the lights. The room was a mess anyways, and the longer he could go without seeing, the longer he could hold off having to clean it up.

Suddenly, the lights flashed on above him.

Eren pretty much jumped out of his skin as he whirled around, shoving nearly half the contents of his desk onto the already cluttered ground. He found himself doing a double-take as he stared into a pair of furious eyes, framed by a head of smooth, black hair and a posture that threatened to kill. The female's arms were crossed and her frown was more than evident as she glared at Eren with every single hint of viciousness that she posessed.

 _"M- **MIKASA?!"** _ Eren yelped as he pointed at his sister in disbelief. "What are you doing back home?! I thought you were studying for finals!!"

Mikasa walked up to him in angry strides. "What do you think you're doing, being out at this hour?" she scolded angrily. "Do you know how worried sick I was because of you?!"

"I texted you, didn't I?" Eren said. "And if I had known you were going to be home I would've..."

"Does it make a difference whether or not I'm at home or not?!" Mikasa yelled, making Eren cringe in fear. "The fact that you were out of the house this late means that you've probably done it before without my knowledge. How could you do this to me, Eren? I trusted you, Eren!"

"But I texted you!"

"All you said was that you were going to be out with Armin for a bit. Am I supposed to know that means you wouldn't come stumbling back home until midnight?"

"Okay, look, I'm sorry!" Eren finally caved. "I...I didn't plan for this to happen. You can trust me, Mikasa. I didn't know that it would take that long...and I kind of lost track of time."

Mikasa narrowed her eyes. "Where were you exactly that you even lost track of time...?"

Eren froze for two seconds. "Well...uh...I was at kind of like a...uh...a job meeting to welcome the newcomers at the new job I just got." He tried to answer as honestly as he could without revealing too many details.

"You got a new job?" Mikasa asked.

"Yeah, just today, actually," Eren said. "Armin's working with me." _Though we're not exactly getting paid for it._

"Where is it at?"

"Uh...it's at a weird place." _Wow Eren, way to go. Best Response of the Year_. Eren knew that Mikasa would never approve of a job at a Host Club, as she had always expressed her hatred of jobs which made money by selling shallow appearances to customers. This would undoubtedly fall under that category. 

Thankfully, Mikasa didn't pester him anymore.

"Well...I guess it's good enough reason. I mean, I guess it's great that you're working and making some money on the side," Mikasa said softly. Eren felt his stomach lurch in guilt at the comment. "Go to sleep. It seems like you've had a long day."

Eren beamed at his sister for letting him off easy. "G'night, sis."

"But don't think I'm letting you off easy," Mikasa said firmly, as if she could read his mind. "We'll finish this off in the morning."

"Aw...come on, Mikasa," Eren whined.

"No whining," she said. "When mom and dad told me to take care of you, I promised them I'd do it properly, so be quiet and go to sleep. I won't be so kind in the morning."

"Wait...how long have you been waiting for me anyways?" Eren asked suddenly, as he caught sight of Mikasa still in her blouse and dress pants.

"Long enough," she replied. Eren suddenly felt super crummy inside, imagining his sister eagerly driving home in order to surprise him only to be greeted by the empty house.

"Hey...I'm sorry, Mikasa," Eren said timidly. "I really won't do it again." A wave of relief washed over him when he saw Mikasa smile gently at him.

"We'll talk about it in the morning, Eren," she said. "Now, good night." And with that, she closed the door behind her.

Eren collapsed onto the bed, exhausted, not even bothering to change out of his clothes. He smiled to himself as he tucked himself under the covers, grateful to have such a caring sister like Mikasa. She may be extremely protective and strict at times, but she made up for their lack of parents, and frankly, that was the only thing that mattered to Eren.

He tucked his arms under his head and laid backwards, letting his thoughts drift. He wondered what he would tell Mikasa when morning came. Even though he had just told Mikasa told trust him, there was no way in hell he was telling her that he was working for free as a part-time host. He wondered how he would go about it: she was bound to find out at some point...

Eren shifted on his bed to find a more comfortable position on his side, thinking about how Mikasa would react when she met the other hosts. What would she think of his eccentric boss, his co-workers and also...

...what would she think of Levi?

At the thought of the man's name, the boy's mind started to wander as his Heichou's voice started playing in his head. He recalled the eyes that he had become so captivated by it, though he had certainly tried extremely hard not to show it. He smiled to himself as he imagined Levi's singing voice melding into his low and soothing speaking voice, so firm and confident when issuing commands yet so gentle when it had been whispering in Eren's ears. He started to picture Levi in his mind after a bit, the slender build, the dark hair and the looks that could kill. He wondered why he hadn't noticed it right from the beginning. 

With Levi's voice still vivid in his mind, Eren's eyes slowly became heavier, and before he knew it, he had fallen into a deep sleep. 

 

* * *

 

 "For the last time, Eren, where do you work?!" Mikasa asked, as she cracked an egg into the frying pan.

"It's really hard to explain!" Eren tried.

"Just tell me where you work, goddammit! I don't have time for this." She checked her watch as she placed two slices of bread into the toaster.

Eren gulped. He knew this moment would come eventually, yet he was finding it more and more difficult to come up with a legitimate answer.

"Well...uhh...you see..." he started again, but was interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing. Hiding a sigh of relief, he quickly ran out of the kitchen and pushed the answer button on the phone.

"Eren?" It was Armin's voice on the other end.

"Yo, Armin! Get over here, right now!" Eren hissed urgently.

"What's up?"

"Mikasa got back last night and now she wants to know where we work!"

"...and why can't you just tell her?"

"Are you crazy? If she finds out I'm a host, she'd skin me alive and hang my body on the front door for everyone to see!"

"Why are you so paranoid? Even if you hide it from her, she's going to find out eventually."

"I know but...can't you come over here and help me out in the meantime? You're a great liar, I'm sure you can convince her."

"Did you just call me a liar?"

"ARMIN! Get your ass over here. Now."

Armin sighed. Eren smiled, knowing that it was a sigh of compliance.

"And for the record, I prefer the term manipulator," Armin said. And he hung up.

Eren shoved the phone into his back pocket and walked back to the kitchen, where Mikasa was already plating the toast and eggs.

"Whoa, that was fast," Eren admired.

"It would've been faster if you'd just answered my questions and didn't distract me so much," Mikasa replied, wiping her hands on a cloth and carrying the plates over to the table. "So, can you tell me where you work _now_ , or am I going to have to literally squeeze it out of you?"

Eren gulped. When Mikasa says literally, she _means_ literally.

"Eren?" Mikasa asked.

Eren grabbed the glass of water beside him and took huge gulps, trying to prolong the moment for as long as possible. Unfortunately, Mikasa noticed. Sighing, she placed her fork and knife down onto the plate.

"Eren, if you don't tell me, I'm going to think something is up," she said plainly.

Eren looked at her nervously and took one last gulp of water. __You stupid idiot!_ Why didn't you think to ask Armin what to say in the meantime?! _

He placed the glass back down on the table and looked his sister in the eye, immediately saying the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm a waiter," Eren said firmly. He almost believed it himself. It was a great lie. It was a more like a twisted truth than a lie even. He felt a surge of pride for being able to have such an intelligent moment.

Mikasa, on the other hand, was not impressed.

 _"That's it?_ " she said, through a deadpan expression. "I was expecting something horrendous, like......nevermind. Why the hell were you so hesitant to tell me _that_ of all things?"

Eren shrugged. "You know, being a waiter, having to carry things around, serving people, treating customers like royalty...I thought you wouldn't approve of me doing that kind of work." _Dayum, I'm on a roll today._

"What are you talking about? That kind of work will be great for you. You'll learn how to deal with people better like that. Not to mention it'll certainly teach you how to be more responsible and hard-working."

Eren threw his sister a beaming, innocent smile. "Thanks, Mikasa. I was really afraid you would..."

Mikasa waved her hand dismissively. "That's the kind of job I was expecting you would have anyways," she said. Eren smiled at her one last time before finally being able to dig into the breakfast his older sister had so diligently made for him.

"So, where's it at, anyways?" Mikasa asked suddenly.

_Shit._

Eren grabbed a huge piece of bread and shoved it into his mouth, chewing as slowly as he could. He could sense Mikasa's suspicion slowly rising again, but he had clearly exerted all of his brainpower by this point and had run out of clever answers. It was all he could do to buy some time for recharging.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door, and Eren felt as if his entire body had been rejuvenated by the noise. Bolting up from his seat, some bread crumbs spewing out of his mouth as he ran, he dashed towards the door, eager to see the face of the person who was about to save his life.

When he saw the round head of blonde, he nearly squealed in delight (and probably would've if it weren't for all the bread still shoved in his mouth). He dragged Armin into the kitchen before his friend could say a thing and shoved him down into the seat beside him.

"Haheghy, Armigh isgh heirrrgh," Eren said, chewing bread at the same time. Armin merely looked at him in a scornful pity.

"Armin! It's been a while!" Mikasa greeted warmly. "Are you still doing well in school?" Eren glared at Mikasa, still chewing like a hungry water buffalo.  _You_ _just saw him a week ago._

But Armin made no response of that sort. "Of course!" Armin smiled, courteous as he always was towards Mikasa. "I see you managed to find yourself some free time?"

"I literally have to run back this afternoon but yeah, I had a little time off, so I figured I would run back and take you and Eren out to dinner last night but it turned out the kid had some...other plans." Eren swallowed forcefully, trying to ignore the slight change in tone in Mikasa's voice.

"So, how's university going?" Armin inquired, skillfully changing the topic at once.

"Same old, same old," Mikasa said. "I just need to ace these finals and I'll be good to go."

"Sounds great."

"I heard you're working with Eren now?"

The two friends subtly exchanged glances.

"Um, yeah..." Armin responded hesitantly.

"So which restaurant are you guys working at?" Mikasa asked again.

"Restaurant?" Eren subtly kicked Armin in the shin for such a thoughtless response.

"You guys are waiters, right?"

"Yeah...yeah! But the place we work...can't really be called a restaurant."

"Oh? Then what is it?"

Armin caught glance of Eren, who was trying to portray the "if-you-tell-her-you're-frikken-dead" look.

"It's too fancy to be considered just a restaurant," Armin thought fast. "It's really high class and the customers are all wealthy patrons."

"Really..." Mikasa mused. "Then why didn't you just say so?"

"He thought you would never approve of him running around and serving for those spoiled and snooty people," Armin said quickly. Eren wanted to give Armin a high-five for such an on point answer.

"Hmph, you kids really worry about everything," Mikasa scoffed. "It's not like I'm a witch or something. You're almost adults now, you need your freedom." The two exchanged guilty glances.

Mikasa suddenly stood up, picking up the plates and throwing them into the sink.

"Are you going now, Mikasa?" Armin asked.

"Yeah...I might be late if I don't leave now," Mikasa spoke, glancing at her watch.

Eren exhaled a sigh of relief. As bad as he felt for lying to his sister, at least he had gotten away with it this time. He glanced at Armin and bit a piece of his toast, subtly smiling to acknowledge the end of all the trickery.

"...but I think I'm going to drive you two to work first."

The toast fell out of Eren's mouth.

"WHAT?!"

* * *

   
"Mikasa, you can seriously drop us off here, it's no big deal," Armin muttered nervously.

"It's fine! It's fine!" Mikasa replied gleefully. "It's once in awhile I get to do stuff like this for you two!"

"Seriously, Mikasa, you might be late," Eren tried. "It's not a far walk from here, promise."

"Relax, would you? Besides, I kind of want to see what kind of a place this is..." Her voice trailed off as the GPS on her phone spoke up, leading her closer and closer to Eren's ultimate doom.

The two boys were sitting in the backseat of Mikasa's black SUV, twiddling their thumbs nervously and shooting nervous glances at each other. In a moment of distraction, Eren had found himself blurting out the address of the Titan Host Club simply when Mikasa had demanded for it, and now he was sitting there nervously, awaiting the horrendous moment when Mikasa would finally see the obnoxious Host Club sign...

"Ah! Almost there!" she exclaimed, as she took one last turn. A wave of panic rushed through Eren as he realized that the inevitable was fast appraoching, and his mind was torn between whether or not just to tell his sister the truth now. He cast a desperate look to Armin, who's stone-faced expression was no help at this point, so he decided to make the decision on his own.

"Mikasa, wait, I—"

 _"You have reached your destination,_ " interrupted the annoying GPS voice.

"Huh? That's weird...I don't see any restaurant on the right side here..." Mikasa said, as she looked around carefully. Confusedly, she picked up her phone and tapped around on it for a bit. "This thing is hardly ever wrong..."

Eren and Armin exchanged looks.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Mikasa! You can't get to our restaurant by road!" Armin blurted out of nowhere.

"Y-yeah! It's so fancy that there's like a complicated route to get there!" Eren added unconvincingly.

"Are you serious?! Why are you two like this today?" she groaned at last, whirling back to glare at the two of them. "You're acting extremely weird and not telling me anything properly!"

Eren and Armin shrugged.

Mikasa rolled her eyes. "Next you're gonna be telling me you work at that Host Club over there."

The two boys tensed up at the comment as if someone had just slapped their rear ends.

They stared at Mikasa in horror for two seconds before simultaneously reaching for their seat belts and frantically trying to get out of the car.

"Uhh, we better get to work, Mikasa, I think we're going to be late," Eren stuttered, flusteredly.

"Yeah, not good to be late on the second day!" Armin grinned sheepishly before pushing the door open and practically flying out of the car.

"HEY! You two aren't going anywhere before you tell me what's going on!" Mikasa yelled, pulling at her own seat belt and stepping out. She smirked to herself as she saw the boys still standing there, clearly not having enough guts to run away from her. Sure, they looked afraid for their lives, but that's certainly what they get for keeping things from her.

"So, tell me honestly, where are you working, and why are you acting like this?" she said clearly.

Armin glanced over to Eren, who sighed in defeat. Lying to his sister had never been a good idea in the first place, and he was surprised he had actually managed for that long.

He opened his mouth, ready to spill out the entire truth. "Well, Mikasa, I...that is...we..."

"Eren? Armin?" A voice suddenly called from behind them.

The three lifted their heads to see an approaching figure.

_Oh no...no...no...please don't let that be..._

A maniac, wide smile suddenly broke out on the person's face, a smiled that immediately showed uniformity with her disheveled, brown hair. Her pace quickened towards them, as if she was genuinely happy to see them, but Eren knew better than to feel welcomed.

"HANJI-SAN?!" Armin yelped. "What are you doing out here?!"

"EREN! ARMIN!" Hanji drawled, scooping them up into a tightening hug. "It's lovely weather, isn't it? I just went also for a breath of fresh, fresh air. Fancy meeting the two of you here!" Eren could only haphazardly glance upwards at the swirling grey clouds above them, and thought to say nothing of it.

Hanji finally caught sight of Mikasa. "Oh? And who might you be?"

Mikasa gave Hanji her most charming smile and bowed politely. "My name is Mikasa, I'm Eren's sister."

"Oh really?! It's so nice to meet you!" Hanji said gleefully, reaching out to shake Mikasa's hand. "Your brother is such a charmer! ...and it's quite obvious that good genes run in the family...you're quite the catch yourself!" She eyed Mikasa up and down approvingly. Eren couldn't tell if Mikasa was uncomfortable yet at this point, but she was certainly doing a great job in maintaining her smile.

"And you must be Eren's boss?" Mikasa inquired politely.

"Why yes! He directly follows under _my_ orders," Hanji said proudly. She tilted her head at Mikasa. "You wouldn't happen to be looking for a job, are you? I mean, with your looks we'd have customers stampeding in in no time..."

"Excuse me?"

"HANJI!" Eren interrupted. "Don't you think we should be getting to work now? It's getting late and I still need to get changed."

"Oh nonsense, you can start a little bit late, it's not like it's going to affect your pay or anything," Hanji smirked. Eren nearly scoffed at the misleading kindness of the comment. "I'm having a great conversation with your sister here."

"Are you also the head chef here?" Mikasa asked suddenly.

Eren blinked.

_Wait...head chef?_

It was only then that he noticed that Hanji was not dressed like she was yesterday. From top to bottom, she was covered in white, not leaving an inch uncovered. Around her waist there was an equally white apron, and there were strange buttons laden across her chest. Around her neck, there was a forest green scarf of sorts, tied in a manner Eren had never seen before. And most peculiar of all was that, on her head, she was sporting a chef's hat.

As ridiculous as she looked, Eren could only appreciate the irony of her attire.

"Why yes? You noticed my outfit!" Hanji laughed, as she did a little dance in it. "It took me awhile to get it ready but here I am! Head Chef of the Tit—"

"HANJI!" Armin squealed. "We're really late. I don't want to hold the others up!" Shamelessly, he reached up and grabbed Hanji's arm, dragging her towards the shop. Hanji was about to protest when Armin reached up to whisper something in his boss' ear.

Eren pretended to look helplessly at Mikasa. "Well, what can you do, Mikasa?" he shrugged. "I'm sorry you couldn't get to see the restaurant...maybe next time?"

Mikasa smiled at him. "Definitely next time." She walked over and gave him a peck on the forehead, which Eren accepted happily (unlike most other 18-year-old younger brothers he knew). While Armin was distracting Hanji and keeping her from walking into the shop, Eren waved goodbye to his sister as she drove away, smiling proudly at  her younger brother. As Eren watched her smile slowly disappear, he realized that he had been wallowing in a pit of guilt this entire time, and it didn't seem to be fading away.

As Eren dragged his feet into the doors of the Titan Host Club, he noticed someone with their nose pressed up to the glass. It was none other than Jean Kirstein.

"Hey, Horseface, the hell you trying to do?" Eren greeted.

"Who's she...?" Jean drawled. "She's pretty hot..."

Eren couldn't help but scoff out loud. "Please. The entire world already knows you're involved with Mr. Freckles."

"Don't you dare call him that!"

"Why? Did I accidentally use a term of endearment which rendered you into a furious mess of jealousy? Well then, serves you right for checking out my sister."

Jean could only splutter in response as Eren turned suavely and walked away. Jean was staring at Eren's back when he heard a sudden snicker beside him. He glanced over to see Hanji, trying to hold in her laughter.

"What?!" he snapped.

Hanji burst, leaning on Jean's shoulder and laughing as she said,"The kid hasn't even been here for two days and he already knows."

" _Really_ , Hanji? You came all the way here to tell me _that_?"

"How much more obvious can you get?!" she snickered as she waltzed over to the back doors, leaving Jean dazed and annoyed at the continuous disintegration of his character, which seemed to come unfairly out of nowhere.

At that moment, he saw Marco approach him from the side, looking quite concerned for his co-host.

"Hey Jean, are you okay?" he asked.

Once Marco had gotten close enough, Jean weakly leaned his head onto Marco's shoulder with a distraught expression, appearing quite pitiful.

"Hey Marco...why is everyone so mean to me?" he said, sounding quite sorry of himself.

He could feel Marco's shoulder shrugging from beneath him. "Who knows? Maybe it's just your face."

Jean jolted back up and glared at Marco. "You numskull, aren't you supposed to be comforting me?"

At this, Marco reached up and cupped Jean's face with both of his hands. Taken aback, Jean allowed Marco to grip his face gently and level their eyes with one another. Before he knew it, Jean found himself staring into Marco's gentle eyes as his partner broke out into the most pleasant smile.

"Hey, as long as I like your face, it should be enough, right?"

Jean hesitated for a moment, not quite sure how to react, but shortly allowed himself to return Marco's smile as best as he could.

"Yeah...I guess you're right."

 

* * *

 

"Fuck, those two are so obvious I want to cry," Hanji scowled. "Ugh, they're so cheesy it makes me want to curl up into a ball forever."

She had been watching the entire scene play out from behind the giant doors. Eren and Armin were squished together above her, also curious to see a little bit of the action. Levi, on the other hand, was waiting behind them, judging every second of their disgraceful behaviour.

"Language, Hanji," Levi scorned. "It's not worth it dropping the F-Bomb on something so trivial. Get back to work, won't you? It's not like you're into voyeurism or something."

"Ew, gross," Hanji scowled. "Fine, fine, whatever you say party pooper. Just get them into their uniforms and inform them of their very first CosDay. I would stick around to chat a little more but I've got to go get the coffee brewing." And with that she disappeared in a flash.

"I'm sorry, _what_ did she just say?" Eren asked. "And why are you all wearing such weird things today?" Sure enough, Levi too was dressed in some sort of chef's uniform, decked out from top to bottom in white and looking quite eccentric in Eren's mind.

Levi sighed. "Please don't make me say that _revolting_ word she came up with on her own one drunken night..."

"What word?" Armin inquired.

Levi gave the most disgusted expression and opened his mouth:

"CosDay. Hanji's short form of Cosplay Day. In other words, it's a random event when we dress up like spoiled rascals on Hallowe'en and act according to our costumes. It's actually quite common in Host Clubs but that disappointment of a manager somehow made it into such a tacky idea...either way, there's a theme today and you have to follow it. You guys are going to be dressed as waiters again today for this theme but remember, it's extremely important to stay in character."

"What's the theme today?" Eren asked. Levi glared at him, as if he really didn't want to talk about this whole CosDay exploit any longer than he had to.

"We're futuristic robot cat demons today," Levi responded. "Honestly, Jaeger, can't you tell? I know your brain is small but not useless, is it?"

"It's a restaurant concept, isn't it?" Armin jumped in.

Levi looked at Eren. "Wow, this kid must be like an Einstein to you, isn't he?"

"But he is," Eren replied without thinking.

"Figures," Levi snorted. And he walked away without saying another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took so long for this update!  
> I had exams and stuff so I was busy doing that :3
> 
> Either way, here's some JeanMarco fluff and a nice intro as to what's going to happen next. Oh, and of course, some precious Mikasa because Mikasa can be quite precious ♥  
> I feel like this is really taking too long and I should start some plotting to carry the story along, which I will next chapter.
> 
> Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time ♥


	11. Cosday ~ Restaurant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A well-prepared host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> Today's Special Menu: ~Fruits of the Sea~ 
> 
>   
> It's CosDay today! ~♥ Today's theme: Restaurant Style!  
> Prepare to be served by the most charming waiters, waitresses and chefs! ^^ 

Eren adjusted the waiter's uniform that was getting a bit too familiar by now, much to his concern. As he fixed his bowtie, he gave a quick nod at his reflection in the mirror, amply satisfied with what he saw. As much as he wasn't looking forward to this event at all, he had to admit that its occurrence was of superb timing, and he couldn't have planned it better himself.  If it weren't for Hanji coming out in that chef's outfit, he would have never gotten away with lying to Mikasa.

"Eren, are you ready?" He heard Armin's voice call from the hallway. "Hanji's waiting for you!"

"Yeah, I'm coming!" Eren called out, running his hand through his hair one last time before practically sprinting out of the room.

 

* * *

 

"Why did I sign up for this? Oh, wait, _I didn't_."

Eren grumbled to himself as he leaned towards a bucket of slightly filthy water and dipped a towel into it, rinsing it out a few times. After haphazardly straining the water out, he threw it onto a wooden table of the club parlour and started scrubbing it every which way. The sleeves of his waiter uniform was unbutton and rolled up to his elbows, and he had removed his bowtie and vest to prevent them from getting dirtied.

"Calm down, won't you?" Armin said, as he was working on the table beside his friend. "It's not like you're the only one doing it."

"You're the only other person doing it."

"Point taken, but it still doesn't render my statement false."

Eren gave the table one last push with his cloth and collapsed onto the seat with a hefty sigh.

"Phew. Last one." he said. He looked around at all the tables, which were practically shining thanks to his effort. He allowed himself a moment of self-praise. 

"Oh, I forgot to tell you something earlier," Armin said, as he finished up as well.

Eren straightened up. "What is it?"

"I have to leave early today because of those after school classes I told you about. I hope you don't mind walking home alone, just for today."

Eren stared at Armin incredulously. "How did Hanji let you get away with this?"

Armin shrugged. "She said it was fine as long as you covered my work for me."

"Wait, _WHAT_?"

"Oh, Ereeeen~!" called a voice from the coffee counter.

"Speak of the devil," Eren groaned. "We'll finish this later." He tossed the dirty cloth back into the bucket and carried it back to the counter.

"Soooo...someone's been quite naughty recently, haven't they?" Hanji jeered, as Eren approached her.

"What are you talking about?" Eren grumbled, not in the mood for Hanji's teasing.

Hanji leaned forward and cupped her face with both of her hands.

"Do you have something you want to tell me Eren?" she smiled mischievous.

"What?" Eren was getting impatient, shaking himself free from Hanji's uncomfortable grasp.

"Are you hiding something from someone? Someone who's quite...special to you?"

Eren's heart started thumping violently in his chest. He covered it up by staring blankly at Hanji.

Hanji sighed in defeat. "I'm talking about your sister. Armin told me everything, how you want to keep this job a secret."

_Oh._

Hanji waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. With my influential powers, I've got it all covered. We're all in on it and if she ever comes we'll do our best to keep it a secret."

Eren stared at her in awe. "You'd do that for me?"

"Of course! I love keeping secrets! The internal terror from keeping it from the other, the suspense in moments when the truth may surface...it's all so exhilarating!"

"So really, this isn't for me at all but rather for your own eccentric personal enjoyment."

"Probably! Now get to work before I change my mind. Our lovely guests are coming in about an hour. We got some heavy prepping to do. Now scramble on your pretty little feet and go check on the kitchen. Ask them if they need anything." And with that, she turned around and started cleaning up her coffee counter, indicating the conversation was over.

Eren nodded as he dragged his feet towards the back, wondering why his mood was so rotten. Maybe it was simply morning blues. Maybe he just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Maybe it was the residing guilt from lying to his sister. Maybe it was that Armin was going to ditch him to walk home alone and dump him with an extra ton of work. Maybe it was Hanji's insensitive teasing.

Most likely, it was a combination of all of the above.

_Relax, Eren Jaeger. You've got a job to do and you're going to prove everyone wrong and you're going to do it well._

As Eren approached the kitchen doors, resounding noises could be heard from within. As he got closer, he realized it was the sounds of dishes being placed in a hurry, utensils clinking against one another, metal against metal, oven doors closing and opening, pans crashing as they were slammed down on the stoves and other disorderly noises that resonated from within. It sounded as if the kitchen staff was really having their work cut out for them.

Eren stepped inside in a hurry, anxious to help out however he could.

"Petra, is everything alright—"

"JAEGER! Get your ass over here and lend me a hand! NOW!"

Eren blinked once, then again to make sure what he was seeing was reality. For one thing, his ears certainly hadn't been wrong, and since the last time he'd heard her, Eren was sure Petra's voice was not that manly and crude.

"What the—?" Eren focused his eyes on the blur in front of him that was responsible for all the noise. " _LEVI?!"_

The man stopped moving for half a millisecond just so Eren could focus his eyes and confirm that it really was him. Sure enough, there he was. He was working at an unbelievable speed, and Eren found it hard to believe that one man was able to do so many things at once. What's more impressive was that, regardless of the overwhelming workload, Levi's chef uniform was as fresh and neat as it had been earlier, without even the slightest stain on it. There was yet to be a hair out of place on his head.

"Levi, why are you here? Where are the kitchen staff?" Eren asked.

"They had to run out to grab some ingredients for the restaurant," Levi said, not even looking up once as he added the icing on a slice of cake.

"All of them? And they left you here? Alone? _You know how to cook?_ "

"Yes, clearly, and what does it fucking look like. As for the last question, why don't you stop being Mr. Inquisitor and get over here and find out for yourself?"  Levi was back by the stoves now, dumping what appeared to be some shrimp into a pan.

"Dude, I've never cooked _in my life_ ," Eren protested. "And why should I help  _you_ after how much of an asshole you've been to me?"

"JAEGER, JUST GET THE HELL OVER HERE!"

"YES, SIR!" Eren agreed, despite his will. He tore off his bowtie and shrugged out his vest as rushed over to Levi's side. As he unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt and straightened out his black apron, he realized Levi had quite outdone himself:  there were ingredients and foods covering every inch of counter space, much of it seeming prepared and ready to go. Yet somehow, despite what ought to have been a mess, the place still appeared quite neat and organized, as expected of the meticulous Levi.

"Stand there and keep watch of those shrimps for me," Levi said. "Toss them once in awhile and just make sure they don't burn. I'll worry about the final texture of it." He slipped on some oven mitts as he said so, running over to where the oven was now making annoying beeping noises.

Eren stared at his superior. " _That's it_?" Eren reproached. "You made such a big deal, now all you want me to do is just stand here and watch some seafood shrivel up?"

"I have high doubts you can even carry through with that task alone, Jaeger," Levi said coldly. In a blink of an eye, fresh trays of undecorated pastries were thrown onto the counter, and Levi was already back on the other side, pulling out some vegetables. Eren took the spatula and half-mindedly poked at the shrimp, trying to make the best of a situation that was starting to seem increasingly boring. As he played around with the shrimp, he realized he had somehow created some sort of messed-up happy face in the pan, and he knew he had to move before he cracked completely.

Eren left his shrimp post and came over to Levi's side.

"What are you doing, Jaeger?" Eren said through gritted teeth as he hacked through a carrot at an extreme speed. "I told you to take care of the shrimp!"

"Come on, you're doing like twenty things at once and you can't even trust me to handle _two_ _?_ " Eren whined. "I can watch the shrimp while I do something else! I can handle a bit of multi-tasking."

Levi hesitated for a second. "I swear if you _dare_ slow me down..."

"No promises...but then again you _did_ ask for my help first."

"You're really such a little brat..." Levi mumbled. He gestured over to the finished cakes. "You know how to clean vegetables?"

"...I've done it like twice...maybe once..."

Levi scoffed. He walked over to the side, pulled out a gigantic bag of leafy green stuff and dumped it in front of Eren.

"Even if _one_ person gets a stomachache today, I'll carve out your stomach first. Use the sink and wash those carefully. I need three rinses for each load."

"What am I? A washing machine?"

" _JAEGER._ "

Eren gave Levi an exasperated look. "I guess that's the most I'm going to get out of you. You really have no faith in me at all," Eren sighed.

Even so, just to reassure Levi, Eren even put forth the extra effort to run back to the stove for a second.  Levi remained staring at him as he scurried back next to him.

Levi stopped cutting and turned to look at Eren, who was getting through the heap with unexpected diligence and speed.There was already a thin layer of glistening sweat appearing on his forehead, his bangs plastered to his skin. He had pushed them out of the way, keeping them out of his eyes, which shone with bright determination. His sleeves were pushed messily up to his elbows and the collar of his white shirt was sloppily undone and flopping all over the place as he washed away.There seemed to be something motivating Eren, and whatever it was, it was definitely _quite_ effective.

The tension between the two somehow morphed to become quite the collaborative, picturesque scene, with Eren washing the veggies and then passing them to Levi to finish off. It was quite impressive that Eren could actually keep up with Levi. There was _progress_ , something Levi definitely hadn't expected.

Had a stranger walked into the kitchen at that moment, he or she might've believe that the two actually got along. It all amused Levi greatly.

Levi saw Eren move his hand out of the corner of his eyes, and before he knew it, he felt a stream of cold water land on his face. A devilish yet playful grin appeared on Eren's face, and Levi knew that he had been splashed by the brat.

"Come on, heichou, speak up," Eren smirked. "You're being awfully quiet today."

Levi resisted the urge to stare at Eren, knowing that he was purposely being playful. Instead, he casually wiped the water of his face, quite tempted to return the favour. But there was no time for that right now. He would get his revenge...later.

"I never realized you were such a prideful person," Levi commented.

"You're one to talk."

"Actually I am, as I have been told the word is actually quite suitable for me."

"Are you sure they didn't say egotistical instead?"

"Either way, I'd take it as a compliment."

Eren found no response and vented his feelings by scrubbing violently at a poor lettuce leaf. He tossed the disheveled leaf aside and pulled the plug, running over to check the shrimp while the water drained.

As he turned on the tap again, he sneaked a glance at Levi. The host's expression was as stone cold as it had always been since they met, less the few times he was with Erwin. Eren wondered if he would ever be able to figure out Levi's pattern of thought, or if he were truly that impenetrable.

"You know, have you ever even considered apologizing to people?" Eren spoke.

"I've uttered many apologies in life, those both dubious and genuine," Levi replied. "But if you're suggesting that I should apologize to _you_...I won't."

Eren tossed around a broccoli stem as he mused to himself. "Maybe one day, you'll realize it was all a misunderstanding, and you'll say something like, _'Look Jaeger, I believe we got off on the wrong foot..._ '". He used what he thought to be his best Levi-impression voice.

Levi snorted. "Jaeger, I _stepped_ on you with my foot. I don't think you'd buy it even if I did say it."

"' _Well Jaeger, it looks like I will have recompensate you for all my wrongdoings_. _Here, have this mansion I just bought.'_ "

"Jaeger. Focus. And I do not sound like that."

" _'Included in this mansion is a giant 84-inch flat screen TV and a personal maid and butler.'"_

 _"_ Jaeger."

" _'Oh yeah, and you can also have my title as the Head Host of the Titan Host Club._ _'"_

"Jaeger."

" ' _I've realized that I've grown ripe in age and that you are more suitable due to your amazing good looks_.'"

"Jaeger."

"' _I shall trade in my pin for a pair of rubber gloves, and shall become a whole, new, humbler human being.'_ "

" _Eren._ "

The utterance seemed to have a delightful power over the bearer of the name, much to Levi's gratification. The boy stopped his yammering immediately and when he looked up, his expression was so expectant that even Levi almost felt guilty.

Almost.

But instead, he decided to simply stand there, half-smirking as he held the boy's gaze, not uttering a word. He knew he was teasing Eren, holding him out in suspense as he awaited his next words, but he couldn't help himself. He wondered why he held such power over Eren, and if that was the true reason why Eren kept pushing him away.

Finally, Levi decided it was enough, and opened his mouth to speak.

"The shrimp's probably burning by now."

" _Shit._ "

* * *

The rest of the hour went on fairly without a hitch, especially once the kitchen staff returned. Even so, Levi had quite successfully managed to give them a lead, as most of the lunch ingredients were prepared and ready to go.

Eren had received a light scolding from Hanji for "slowing down Levi" (during which the head host was nowhere to be seen), which she seemed to quickly forgot about when Marco came out with the flowers and candles.

During Eren's absence, the humble parlour of the Titan Host Club had been completely transformed. Somehow, within the short span of 45 minutes, the crew had managed to redecorate the entire place. The comfy couches had been replaced with refined and elegant chairs, though the wooden tables remained, each one draped with a white and lacy tablecloth. Marco was setting up the candles and flowers in every single corner of the place, while Armin placed silver cutlery and napkins one each table. Eren was even more impressed when Jean ran in stating that the regular host club sign had been changed to a restaurant themed one as well: "The Titan's Appetite".

Even the walls were being refurnished, curtains changed to a darker colour to fit the theme, while classy paintings which appeared priceless were displayed along the sides. The ranking charts had been removed and were nowhere to be seen. Each and every single surface glistened and shone with the effects of devoted cleaning. With the lighting dimmed as the finishing touch, the Host Club was no longer a host club in anyway. It radiated in a sophisticated and intimate theme, and was analogous to the most high class of restaurants.

But that wasn't even the most impressive part.

"OI, NEW KID~!" called a voice from above that Eren did not recognize.

_Wait...above?_

Eren's head shot upwards towards the center of the host club's ceiling, and he found himself blinded by the bright reflection of glistening jewels. Upon closer inspection, he realized what they actually were.

"Since when did we have a _chandelier_?!" Eren exclaimed. There were two ladders on each side of the grand lighting ornament, and on each ladder perched two individuals who Eren did not recognize, a boy and a girl, though they were also both dressed as waiters. They waved at him and gestured for him to come.

"Hey! Throw me the yellow screwdriver!" the boy called down from his high perch. It appeared that they were responsible for putting up the chandelier.

"WHAT?! Doesn't that seem a little dangerous?" Eren yelled back.

"Aw, come on, we're already up here, how bad could it be?" the girl responded. "Besides, Connie's not such a bad catch."

Eren hesitated for a moment, but not wanting to seem cowardly, he glanced down towards the table beside him and spotted the toolbox. His fingers nimbly rummaged inside until he found the tool he was looking for. Clutching it firmly and planting his feet, he looked up with a determined look.

"Ready?!" he yelled.

"You know it," the boy grinned.

"1..."

Eren stepped firmly and gritted his teeth.

"2..."

He started to pull his arm back.

"3—"

"What do you think you're doing, Jaeger?" an angry voice sounded as Eren felt his arm dragged backwards and the screwdriver wrenched out of his hand. He turned to see Levi shooting daggers at him through his eyes.

"L-LEVI! I was trying to help them," Eren tried to explain himself.

"By giving him a concussion on top of a high ladder? Sounds like a great plan," Levi grimaced. He turned his attention upwards. "Hey, you idiots, who let you up there?"

"Hanji did," the girl grinned. "There was nothing left for us to do so she told us to go hang up the chandelier."

"She must have really ran out of people," Levi muttered. "Get down here now! We don't need that thing crashing down in the middle of dinner service. I'll finish that up."

Surprisingly obedient the two immediately scurried down from the ladders, giving Levi enough time to give Eren one last death glare before climbing out himself, screwdriver clamped tightly in his mouth.

Eren felt a sudden clap on his back.

"Yo, bro, I don't think we've met before!" Eren turned to see the boy from before. He had quite the dashing grin and a playful aura about him up close. "My name's Connie Springer, and this here is Sasha Braun." The cute and cheerful brunette next to him smiled gleefully. "And you are?" He extended a hand towards Eren.

Eren took the hand gratefully. "Eren. Eren Jaeger. It's nice to meet you."

Connie leaned in towards Eren's ear. "I heard Hanji blackmailed you into working here," Connie whispered. "Has it been hell on Earth?"

"Not really...I mean I'd love to get paid for it but...I guess it's not so bad once you get the hang of it," Eren replied honestly.

"Waaah, he's so strong-willed," Sasha drawled. She too clapped him on the back, and Eren gritted his teeth, not wanting to admit that Sasha's hit definitely felt much harder than Connie's.

"If it was me, I would've changed my name and fled to another country a long time ago," Sasha continued to muse.

"You're one to talk, you only started to work here because you think the food is good," Connie leered.

Sasha spun around on him. "And what's wrong with that?!"

"N-Nothing...nothing at all."

Eren watched in amusement as the two continued to bicker. He had met a few hosts yesterday, but Sasha and Connie seemed to be the only ones who hadn't cause his blood pressure to rise (even Marco's defenselessness had irked him somehow). They were simply entertaining to be around, and it was definitely a refreshing thing.

"OKAAAAY EVERYONE~! FIVE MINUTES UNTIL SHOWTIME! GATHER ROUND!" Hanji's voice called from the kitchen counter.

All faces were immediately present at Hanji's words. While Levi nimbly climbed back down the ladder, Eren took the time to admire the new appearance of what used to be Hanji's coffee counter. She had hidden the coffee brewers somewhere, and despite the fancy wine bottles in their place, Eren noticed that the scent of the coffee beans remained, if not slightly fainter than usual. The mugs were nowhere to be seen, and instead Eren found his eyes hurting from the shine of the wine glasses that had apparently been polished by none other than Levi the other day. The pastry shelves were now liquor shelves, and bar-tending equipment lined the entire length of the counter. Much like the Host Club as a whole, the transformation was thorough.

"Alright crew, we're all set and ready to go," Hanji said. "Menus are set and the chefs are ready to go. Levi and I will help out in the kitchen today, though Levi will be out here to supervise when the kitchen doesn't need him. Jean is in charge of bar-tending so he'll be behind the counter at all times. Christa, you're on reception. Do as you've done before. The rest of you, Marco, Ymir, Sasha, Connie, Eren, and Armin, are on waiter duty. Bring all your tags to the kitchen promptly and report any changes immediately to us or Levi if he is present in the parlour. Remember, we are no longer The Titan Host Club today, but we are the prestigious, high-class restaurant: 'The Titan's Appetite'. Lunch starts in about three minutes so study up the menu in that time if you can. Any questions?"

Sasha raised her hand like an elementary school student.

"Yes, Braun?" Hanji acknowledged.

"Has The Commander left yet? I heard he came by yesterday and I was _reeeeally_ hoping to see him!" she squealed.

Levi glared at her while Hanji gave the most sympathetic smile. "He and Rico checked some last rounds and left this morning," Hanji said.

Sasha frowned. "Awwww....but I was really hoping to..."

"It's okay, he promised to be back soon," Hanji said.

Jean snorted. "Yeah, 'soon' in his dictionary is like five months."

"KIRSCHTEIN. Enough," Levi scolded.

"Any more questions?" Hanji asked again. "Oh, and Jean, straighten your bowtie."

Sasha raised her hand again.

Hanji sighed. "Yes, Sasha?"

"Can I please work in the kitchen today?"

"NO!" Everyone except for Eren and Armin cried out in unison. The two mentioned looked extremely confused. Sasha looked as if someone had just burnt her favourite stuffed animal.

"Okay, the clock's ticking," Levi said. "Get to your positions. I've already assigned areas to each of you. Leave a customer waiting for more than two minutes and I'll put you on clean-up duty. Now get going."

"Aww come on, you've got to be more gentle with the children," Hanji purred, stroking Levi's arm.

Levi snatched his arm away in disgust. "That includes you too, four-eyes," he snapped. "And don't you dare do that again..."

"...or you'll become _three-eyes_."

Everyone turned to stare at Ymir, who had on her best Levi imitation face. She noticed the attention and reverted back to normal.

"Sorry, it just seemed like something he would say," she chortled.

"Ymir?" Levi remarked.

"Yes, captain?"

"Get your ass over to the tables before I order Jean to shove his foot up there."

"WHY IS IT ALWAYS _MY_ FOOT?!" Jean screamed in horror as he too skulked away. Eren held in his laughter as he too dispersed, grabbing a tray and a cloth as he went. Hanji disappeared the large wooden doors, while Levi remained in front of them, undoubtedly to overlook the entire parlour.

Eren noticed Armin reading the menu and decided to go bother him.

"What? You don't enough things to study already?" Eren taunted, snatching the menu away from him.

"Hey! Give that back! I actually want to do this well!" Armin whined, reaching futilely for the menu that Eren was holding out of his reach.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Eren said. "After all, you're just going to dump all the work on me at the end, aren't you?" With one determined lunge, Armin grabbed the menu back.

"Is this what this is all about?" Armin huffed, opening the menu again. "Hmm...they actually have a lot of stuff here. I didn't they could make all this fancy stuff..."

"Awww, come on, you can't blame me for being a little upset that my best friend's leaving me all alone at work."

"Since when were _you_ so clingy?"

Eren pouted. "Arminnie, you used to be so warm-hearted back in middle school...but now you're so cold and sarcastic sometimes..."

"Eren...!"

"Are you two done flirting?" entered a new voice. Eren and Armin looked up to see Ymir, her signature sneer plastered on her face. "Pull yourselves together, or else I'm going to get the Captain over here for some quick foot-to-ass action."

Eren was taken aback. "Wow. I expected a lot of people to scold us for slacking off but I never expected _you_..."

Ymir scowled and bent down to Eren's eye level, her gaze filled with scorn and intimidation.

"I'll have you know I actually take my job here _very_ seriously, despite my appearance, and these types of events are the most essential to this Host Club," she said. "And I'm not going to let a bunch of apathetic newbies ruin it. You better do your work damn seriously or I'll kick you both out myself."

Eren and Armin stood frozen as Ymir straightened up and walked away, unsure of how to respond.

"Wow," Armin said.

"Yeah...wow," Eren echoed.

"What was that all about?"

"She almost sounded Levi for bit."

"You think she's serious?"

Eren waved his hand dismissively. "I'm sure they're all just empty threats to scare us a little," he said. "I mean, sure, this place has exceeded a few expectations, but at the end of the day, I don't think anyone's really going to go a Host Club that's pretending to be a restaurant for one day. I mean, it looks cool and all but...there's no publicity. Besides, I'm pretty sure this is just Hanji indulging in her love for decoration. It shouldn't be any different from yesterday."

Armin nodded agreeably. "Yeah, I guess you're right..."

Eren smiled at his friend before taking one last look at the parlour. It all seemed so wasteful to him, all the effort put it. He scanned the lovely curtains, the well-decorated tables, the bar counter which Marco was leaning over and the...

"Wait a minute," Eren said suddenly, whirling his head around this way and that.

Armin's head poked up from the menu. "What?"

Eren kept looking around. "Where'd Levi go? I thought he was only going back when the kitchen needs help?"

Armin put down the menu. "That's weird. It's not like him to disappear like that..."

Eren wandering eyes flickered over to the clock. Ten seconds left until eleven o' clock.

"Uh oh..." he uttered.

"What is it?" Armin asked.

"Don't tell me..."

Armin followed Eren's gaze and also noticed the same thing.

"There's no way..." he said.

The hour hand struck eleven.

The bells twinkled in a manner that seemed a bit more violent than usual as a blast of cold air slammed both of the new hosts in their faces, sending a chill down their spines. Instant chattering filled the room and the jarring harmony of many footsteps at once could be heard on the cold wooden floors. Christa's pleasant voice sounded from the front, quickly followed by the squeaking of chairs as the tables were occupied as quickly as possible. A sudden new and delectable scent rose from the kitchen, nothing they had ever experienced before: the exquisite aroma signified that the kitchen staff was already prepping, ready for whatever came at them. The sound of menus flipping echoed in Eren and Armin's ears as laughing customers eagerly went through the pages, recommending dishes and choosing drinks as if they were in an actual restaurant.

The two stared in awe as the tables were almost immediately filled.

And there was already a line starting to form outside.

Eren nervously pulled out his pen and pad out of his chest pocket, shuddering at the sight of the joyous people who were unintentionally about to make his life quite difficult.

Eren gulped.

"He said two minutes, right?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guise! How's it going ^^
> 
> This one took a little longer to update because I found myself continually writing and rewriting the scenes :P There was a lot more Ereri before but I took it all out despite the effort because it all seemed a bit too....cheesy, I guess. But if anyone's interested, I guess you could message me and I could show you kind of like a draft or...."deleted scene" of the story XD
> 
> So yeah, this is the first Theme concept of the Host Club. There will be more to come because they're just so fun to write in their own way ^^ I was considering, instead of incorporating them all into the story, maybe I'll create a separate fic that's just Themed Oneshots of Titan Host Club scenarios. What do you guys think? :3
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading and still staying with me. I'm glad I'm gradually and slowly receiving more love for this fic and I really appreciate it...like a lot ^^ I'd love to hear from you guys and thanks for everything :D
> 
> In the meantime, any ideas from some upcoming themes? :O This one is not exactly exciting like a Police theme, or High School theme or anything like that yet but....who knows...? :P
> 
> I'll see you guise next update! TANKYUUUU~♥


	12. levi's cordiality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A considerate host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> Today's Special Menu: ~Fruits of the Sea~ 
> 
>   
> It's CosDay today! ~♥ Today's theme: Restaurant Style!  
> It's just about dinner time, so come on in and don't miss the main event! 

Eren panted heavily, gasping for breath as his palms pressed into the wall.

"No...Levi...I can't...do this anymore," he exhaled, the words passing by his parched lips with difficulty.

" _Eren_." Levi called his name as he loomed over him, his gaze meant to kill. A chill slithered down the length of the boy's spine. A part of him feared what Levi would do to him next. 

"I hope you know, we've gone way too far to give up now," Levi murmured, his voice much too close for comfort.

"Levi...please...I'm...I'm at my limit." Eren was practically begging. It was definitely a sight Levi had never seen before: the body which usually radiated in such youthful vigour was now exhausted of all energy, defenseless and vulnerable beneath the delicate layers of the now disheveled clothing. The eyes that were usually bright with determination were now half-lidded and burdened with weariness. The silky hair that was all sloppy and sticky with the sweat drenched his forehead and the rest of body. The breathing that had become irregular between his slightly parted lips failed to retain its usual pattern despite his efforts.

Eren Jaeger clearly was at his limit.

But Levi was having none of that.

Eren's moans sounded yet again. "Levi... _Levi, please..."_

In a sudden motion, Levi grabbed Eren by the collar of his shirt and flipped him around, eliciting a strangled gasp from deep within Eren's throat. He pulled until Eren's breath could be felt on his own lips. He could the feel the erratic rhythm of his breathing and even the slight quivering of Eren's fragile body through his clothes, and there was only so much he do to keep from getting too caught up. Despite their closeness, Eren was yet to display a sign of resistance.

"Eren..." Levi growled into Eren's ear. "I hope you're ready for what I'm about to do to you next..."

" _Heichou...please...no more..._ "

At the sound of his title being uttered, Levi snapped.

Impressed by his tolerance thus far, Levi's resistance persisted no longer as he slammed Eren back against the wall. 

Making sure Eren's head hit the wooden surface as hard as possible.

"OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Eren yelled as his head collided with maximum impact against the tough wall, reverting him back to full attention at once.

Levi glared at Eren, taking in the incompetence before him. "To snap you out of it. That's for being such a whiner, Jaeger. Who do you think you are moping around my host club like that?"

Eren frowned as he rubbed the back of head in pain. "Sorry...I'm just so exhausted..." he breathed. Clearly, Levi's little maneuver had made him forget that he had been out of breath less than a few seconds ago.

He started babbling. "I mean, it wasn't so bad until Armin left because then I had to look after both table areas and then it was just hell on Earth and I had to remember what you said and I had to get it all done in two minutes and I was like 'oh no, oh no, I don't want more cleaning duty' so I sucked up my gut and ran like hell and I...I..." Eren gave up and stopped to gasp for breath as Levi simply gazed at him, expectant to see what he would do next.

Still breathing heavily, Eren reached into his inner chest pocket.

"Here...what I'm here for..." Eren said. He held out pieces of papers with messy writing scribbled on each one of them. "For once I was glad to see you...if you hadn't been out here, I don't I would've made it to the kitchen..."

Levi grabbed the tags from Eren's hands as he crumbled forward and rested his palms on his thighs. He scanned through them swiftly and realized there were four of them.

"Wait a minute..." Levi spoke.

Eren glanced upward. "Is there something wrong...?"

"You just brought me three tags less than seven minutes ago..." Levi recalled.

Eren was a mixture of fear and confusion. "...yes?"

"And you managed to get another four within that time frame?" Levi said, waving the pages in front of Eren.

The new host straightened up. "Well yeah," he replied. "You said no more than two minutes per customer so I had to write things down as fast as I could. Don't worry, I greeted them and talked to them very politely, so if it's hospitality you're worried about..." Eren trailed off as he realized Levi was inspecting something on the white papers again. He tensed up as he saw Levi's eyes widen over something,

"Did I make a mistake...?" Eren inquired nervously.

"According to these table numbers..." Levi mused.

Eren held his breath (as if he could afford to).

"Yours and Arlert's area are on the complete opposite sides of the club."

Eren was silent, wondering what Levi was getting at. And when Levi's eyes connected with his own, he realized there was a hint of something different within them, almost as if he were almost impressed.

"Stay there for a second, Jaeger," Levi ordered.

Eren protested. "But the customers—"

" _Stay. There._ " Levi reaffirmed. "I'll hand these tags over to the kitchen and I'll be right back."

Levi disappeared into the kitchen doors on the wall directly opposite to them, and reappeared seconds later with a blazing expression. Before Eren knew what was going on, he felt something cold press against his bottom lip. After another second, he realized that Levi had pushed a glass of water into him, trying to force him to drink it.

"Heichou?!" Eren exclaimed, taken aback by the sudden action.

"Drink up, before you're completely wrung out," Levi said hastily. Despite what seemed to be a generous action, the familiar scorn in his voice remained.

Not wanting to deny what he'd been craving for awhile, Eren grabbed the reward and started gulping madly. He managed to clear the entire glass, ice and all, less than five seconds later.

"Feel better?" Levi asked, amused. 

"You have no idea," Eren panted, the water cooling down his insides and bringing sweet, temporary relief to his body. Rejuvenated was an understatement as to how Eren fely, all thanks Levi's sudden act of empathy.

"You know, this is all very out of character for you," Eren said. "Who knew the strict and all-mighty Levi had a soft side to him too?"

Levi glared at him. "Only you would be idiotic enough to mock someone who is humane to you. I don't do this for just anyone you know."

"Really? Then what makes me so special?" Eren taunted.

Levi said nothing. Instead, he gestured towards Eren's forehead, which was still dripping with sweat and as shiny as a lightbulb.

"You're not actually thinking about going out there like that, are you?" Levi said, noting that Eren's attire had also become sloppy due to the excessive sprinting around. If Hanji saw she probably would've had a heart attack.

At that moment, Eren realized that the glass of water was not the only thing that Levi had come out of the kitchen with. A thin, white towel had been hanging on Levi's left arm this entire time, and due to its blending in with Levi's chef jacket, Eren had failed to notice it before.

The host now removed the towel from his arm and draped it over his hand, suddenly moving closer towards Eren.

"Levi...?!" Eren uttered.

And before he knew it, he felt the cloth gently press into his forehead, soaking all the sweat that had been so discomforting all this time. Startled by the sudden contact, Eren shuddered beneath Levi's hand.

"Stay still," Levi said, rendering Eren immobile immediately as he leaned even closer.

Eyes fixed on his targets, Levi gently brought the cloth down and around Eren's cheekbones, dabbing carefully as he went. The softness of the towel and the way Levi was so careful made every touch unbearable. It took all of Eren's will to keep still, as he could barely feel the pads of Levi's fingers underneath the towel, which seemed to feel thinner than it appeared. They were acting so gently and practically caressing his skin. And although Levi was usually a very speedy person, his actions suddenly seemed so agonizingly slow in that moment, as Eren _felt_ every second of it.

To make matters worse, Eren found he was fixated by how focused Levi was. He found he couldn't tear his eyes away from Levi's face, no matter how much he tried. It suddenly occurred to Eren that Levi, the famous Head Host of The Titan Host Club, was showing this kind of tender expression over _him_ , a worthless, new recruit that should've meant nothing to Levi. Yet there he was, fretting over him and touching him as if he were a fragile object, lightly and carefully.

The towel suddenly tucked beneath Eren's lips, barely touching them, and Eren cursed himself as he felt his body shift, despite his resistance.

"Hey, Jaeger, stay still or else I'll finish this with you tied up," Levi growled, the incivility now quite obvious in his tone.

"Y-yes sir," Eren couldn't help but stutter.

But some things are definitely much easier said than done.

The warmth of the towel traced Eren's jawline and ended up pressed into his neck, right below where his jawline met his ear. At this point, Eren had to squeeze his eyes shut and grit his teeth as Levi rubbed against his neck, the contact still as timid and lingering as ever. His heart was pounding violently in his chest. Levi went around and over; he was thorough and didn't miss a single spot.

Even when it should've been over, Levi reached up and tugged at Eren's bowtie, undoing the clasp, and letting it fall around Eren's neck as he nimbly undid a few buttons at the collar of Eren's white shirt.

This time Eren retaliated without hesitance. "What are you doing?!"

"I really wasn't kidding about earlier. Can't you stay still for two seconds?" Levi said. "I'm almost done. All this moisture clogged up underneath his bothering me."

This time, the towel pressed a bit more firmly into Eren's collarbones and he could _definitely_ feel the pads of Levi's fingers edging into him. It took all of his self motivation to keep him from backing away. It was becoming harder to think straight, not when Levi's hand was moving back and forth and back and forth and digging into his collarbones like this.

At last, the pressure was gone, and Levi scanned Eren's face to examine the result of his efforts.

"There, now at least you don't look like you just ran a marathon," Levi said. Before Eren could even think to protest,  Levi grabbed onto Eren's shirt collar and redid the buttons. He reached around Eren's neck, his fingers brushing the nape as he ran them along the strap of the bowtie, fastening it at the front when he was done straightening it out. He even brushed out the edge of Eren's vest and straightened out his sleeves, restoring Eren's attire to its initial appearance.

"Thanks...I guess," Eren mumbled, not quite sure how to react. His brain was still quite muddled for some weird reason.

"Your gratitude is probably misplaced," Levi responded. "I didn't do this for you. This is only to prevent Hanji from getting a heart attack."

"Right...cause...yeah..." Eren wanted to stop talking as soon as possible. "I should...I should probably go back to the front."

"That you should. And quickly as well. They're probably getting overwhelmed out there," Levi noted.

"Yes, sir!" Eren responded as quickly as possible, turning to leave.

"Wait, Eren!" Levi called after him. "Don't worry about Arlert's table area. I'll be out there to cover that in just a bit."

Eren was shocked. "But what about the kitchen?"

"They'll be fine. Having one of them handling twice the weight would probably be better than having you handling twice the weight anyways. I was a backup anyways."

"...are you sure, they'll be alright?"

"Positive. Now stop loitering and get out there. You've wasted enough time."

Hearing this, Eren wasted no time and rushed out towards the parlour, his feet springing with a newfound motivation that he could not fully understand. He glanced at a mirror hang in the hallway before he stepped out, checking his reflection. Levi had done extremely well. He looked fresh and good to go.

Taking a deep breath, Eren pushed against the large wooden door, ready to take orders non-stop for the next few hours.

"Eren!"

Stopping in his tracks, Eren looked back and realized Levi still hadn't left. He had called after him again.

"You wanted to know why I treat you differently?" Levi asked. There was an aura of solemnity around him.

Naturally, it was one of those situations where a loss for words was expected.

And as Eren looked at Levi,the captain's serious expression broke into an intriguing smirk.

"It's because you're not bad, brat."

Eren continued staring blankly, though part of him questioned the genuinity of the comment.

And when Levi repeated it one more time, suddenly Eren knew for sure, and he found he couldn't stop a shameless smile from breaking across his face.

"Not bad at all..."

* * *

For the next hours Eren worked until the soles of his feet ached, until his wrists were cramped from writing repetitive letters, and until the corner of his lips were aching from all the forced smiles. But not once did he falter, and even until the end he managed to charm every single customer he stopped by.

He'd brought out dishes after dishes of extravagant food that were a pleasure simply to smell. It seemed pastries were not the only things the kitchen staff was good at preparing. Eren himself had to hold back from the salivating sight and intoxicating aroma of the buttered shrimp, well-done steaks, sizzling vegetables and other delectable dishes that seemed fit for a king. Just once, he managed to sneak a shrimp that had barely dropped on the kitchen window into his mouth. The savory burst of enticing flavour made him regret his decision at once, as he realized he would now only crave for more for the rest of his shift.

As promised, Levi also joined the waiters shortly after Eren returned, and it was a huge load lifted off Eren's shoulders at that point. Not only was half his work accounted for, Levi's speed and dexterity made him feel at ease, knowing that there would be someone to back him up during the rush hours.

More than anything, Eren was surprised. He had belittled the Titan Host Club and expected the event to be a time for slacking off. For awhile, he wondered if this was merely karma playing around with him, punishing him for his selfish thoughts. But then he realized that this Host Club really was quite the landmark, having established strong connections with their customers over a long history and yet still striving to attract more each and every day. There was no room for fooling around, and if the purpose had been to teach Eren this lesson, it had been accomplished quite successfully.

When the clock hit 7:30, the crowd had diminished by a decent amount, but allowing only for the two most diligent hosts to go on a quick fifteen minute break. When their good fortunes were announced, Eren and Marco immediately went to the back room and collapsed on the couches, trying to recover as much energy as possible within the short time period.

"Ahhh....that feels good," Marco muttered. His head tilting back against the pillows.

"Tell me about it, I don't think I've covered so much distance in a few hours of my life ever before," Eren sighed, falling onto his side into the soft cushions.

"I'm so grateful Levi-heichou came out. He saved me several times during that rush we had," Marco said.

Eren said nothing, silently appreciating Levi in his own mind. 

As he shuffled around on the couch, Marco happened to glance out the small window of the break room.

"It looks like it's going to rain soon," Marco mused, as he flipped onto his stomach. He grabbed a squishy pillow, hugging it to his face while he stared vacantly at the looming dark clouds that drifted past them.

Eren squeezed his eyes open at the comment, groaning out loud. "I swear, it better not rain or else..."

"Why? Are you walking home?"

Eren sighed. "Yes..."

Marco sat up, pushing the pillow into his lap as he looked at Eren, concerned.

"Oh no, that's going to be brutal," he lamented. "I'd offer to give you a ride but even I'm going with Hanji, and she still needs to take Jean, Ymir, Sasha and Connie home."

Eren counted in his head. "...isn't that already too many people?"

Marco put a finger to his lips and smiled playfully at Eren. "What the cops don't know won't hurt them. Besides, the closest ones, Sasha and Connie, live in the same building less than a twenty minute drive away. What are the chances we would be caught in that time frame?"

Eren couldn't help but laugh. Curse this host club and its eccentric sense of morality.

"You know..." Marco pondered. "Levi still has his car. Maybe you could ask him?"

Eren willed himself from fidgeting at the mention of Levi's name. "He doesn't seem like the take-you-home-from-work type, does he?"

Marco laughed. "Why else do you think we would try to squish six people into a five-seater car?"

"Yeah, how do you guys fit anyw...actually I don't wanna know"

Marco stood up and stretched out his arms above his head. "I don't think it would hurt to ask, Eren," he said. "I mean, Levi may be strict and all but it seems like he has a soft spot for you, doesn't he?"

Eren turned away, not wanting Marco to see his face in the case that it would accidentally redden.

"You think so?" Eren spluttered. "Because I really don't."

Marco beamed. "Sure he does! I mean, he ditched the kitchen staff just to help you out, didn't he?"

Eren pulled his knees up to his face and wrapped his arms around them, covering them even more. He definitely hadn't thought of it that way, and curse Marco for driving his own weird, bubbly, insane thoughts into Eren's (mostly) sane mind.

"I really don't think that's what it was," Eren sulked, his voice a muffle beneath his arms.

"Aw, really? It must have only been me then," Marco said. Eren almost wanted to scream at him for dropping the argument so quickly after bringing his hopes up like that.

"Still," Marco continued. "It couldn't hurt to ask."

"I'd rather not," Eren replied. He stood up, brushing off his pants and apron as he did so.

"You want some water?" Eren offered.

Marco seemed startled. "Um...sure, I guess. Thanks a lot, Eren!"

"You should drink up before you're completely wrung out," Eren winked, and left for the kitchen.

After they had cleared their beverages, the clock seemed to tick so much faster. Perhaps the silence had something to do with it, but before they knew it they were back out in the parlour and taking orders as if they had never left.

And the dreaded moment came at around 8 o' clock, when Eren started to notice umbrellas and raincoats appearing along with the customers in the Host Club. A quick glance outside and it was clear that the clouds had given in, and specks of raindrops had started to appearon the sidewalk outside. Half an hour later, the light shower turned into a cascade of water, and Eren knew there was no chance he was walking home dry tonight. As he dared to look outside one more time, he realized that the wind was also starting to pick up speed and the trees were swaying about a bit more violently than usual. It was not looking good for him.

At 9:05 p.m., a flash of white light alarmed some customers sitting by the window, when minutes later a loud crashing noise from outside startled them. Eren groaned to himself as the entire Host Club became agitated in a flurry by the arrival of the storm. Eren had to leave the place in less than an hour, and judging by the resounding blasts of thunder outside, it seemed that he was out of luck. And evidently, so was Hanji, considering she came charging out minutes later, complaining to the hosts that the storm was going to drive away all her customers on such an eventful day.

And when it reached 10 o' clock at last, Eren could barely feel the muscles in his legs but decided to ignore them. It seemed that it was the least of his worries for now.

Even by the time he finished with helping with restoring the place to its former appearance, the storm had not let up the least bit and if anything had only gotten heavier. As he changed, he grimaced to himself as he imagined walking out into the literal waterfall of rain without an umbrella or a raincoat, not to mention the chance that he could be struck by lightning any moment.

"Oi, EREN!" Hanji called, as Eren returned to the parlour fully changed. She was standing with the others by her now restored coffee counter, as she waved a bag of takeout boxes at Eren.

"Here! Some leftovers from the kitchen," she smiled. "A gift for you to have a nice, late dinner tonight."

Eren reached eagerly for the delicacies that he knew were inside, but then stopped himself as a sudden gloom washed over him.

"No thanks," he mumbled. "It'll all be ruined by the time I get home anyways."

The hosts exchanged confused glances with each other, until Hanji figured out what Eren was hinting at.

"EHHH?! Don't tell me you're walking home in this weather? At this time of night?" Hanji exclaimed.

"Don't worry about it," Eren tried to smile. But unfortunately, he was all out of forced smiles for the day.

Hanji grabbed Eren by the shoulder and shook him, concern in her eyes.

"We can't leave you like this!" she squealed. "You're gonna' get all soaked and wet and then you might get a cold and then...how are you going to show up for work tomorrow?"

Eren almost scoffed. So that's what the concern was about.

"I'll be fine...I promise I won't get a cold," Eren responded bravely, staring out the window as if it to challenge the storm. At this point, he just wanted to get it over with.

Hanji looked as if she was about to cry. "Eren Jaeger...you brave, brave soul...I'm so glad I hired you."

"...you didn't hire me."

Hanji leaped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Eren. "AWWWW EREN! YOU'RE SO ADORABLE! I wish you all the best! I believe in you! You can do it!" She gave Eren one last encouraging smile.

"Cut the bullcrap, four-eyes, I'll take him home."

All eyes looked up and focused towards the staff doors, where no one other than Levi stood, fully changed and with a scowl on his face as he glared at Hanji, undoubtedly displeased by her excessive gushing.

"L-Levi?" Eren stuttered.

Levi walked over and grabbed Eren by the scruff of his neck, almost lifting him off the ground.

"I'll take this dirty, little rat home so you worry about yourself," he glowered.

Everyone stared at Levi in disbelief, including Eren, whose eyeballs looked as if they were about to fall out of their sockets. And it made sense, because Levi must've looked more like a god to him now than ever before.

"My, my, Heichou, this is all quite unlike you..." Hanji leered.

"Shut up, Hanji," Levi snapped. "We're all exhausted. Let's just do what we want, go home, sleep and forget about it in the morning."

The confused hosts who had still been standing there the entire time started their own little aside conversation as Levi and Hanji continued disputing .

"Yo, I think we got a little OOC going on here..." Ymir mumbled.

"Did the little weasel drug him or something when we weren't looking...?" Jean whispered.

"You have a point there actually..." Ymir responded.

Marco glared at them both. "Look at the two of you, acting all bitter and jealous like a married couple."

Jean glowered back at him. "Who's a married couple?!"

Sasha punched them both in the face at the same time. "Shut up, you two! Looks like we've got something... _blossoming_ here." She smiled maniacally, a smile that was reflected on Connie's face as well.

"I've never seen Levi act like this before in my life!" Connie said gleefully.

"Yeah, see! OOC!" Ymir whispered harshly.

"No, _DRUGS!_ " Jean argued.

"Would the five of you please stop gossiping like teenage girls over there?" Levi's powerful voice resonated out of nowhere, silencing them immediately.

He turned back to Hanji, his expression stone-cold as ever.

"If you're not going to go first, I will," Levi said. "Good night, Hanji. Come, Eren." He skulked past them all and towards the door.

Eren looked at Levi, then back at Hanji, then at Levi again. "B-but what about—"

Levi turned back, daggers in his eyes directed at Eren. " _Eren_...I swear if you're really that stupid to question me now, I will actually take your sweater away from you and leave you to walk home alone in this goddamn storm..."

Eren shuddered at the horrifying look Levi was throwing at him and stumbled after him at once.

"Y-yes sir!"

And before Hanji or anyone else could protest or say another word, the tinkering of the bells had already sounded by the door, and the two disappeared together out into the murky and somber night.

The members of the Titan Host Club all stood there and stared blankly at the door in silence for a moment, none of them able to fully register what they had just seen and heard.

"Did he just call him _Eren_ _?_ " Ymir gawked. Everyone else acknowledged the extreme relevance of the question.

" _Twice?"_ Jean grimaced.

A sudden flash of lightning created an eerie reflection off of Hanji's glasses, as the corners of her mouth lifted into a peculiar smile.

"Why yes, my friends. I believe he did..."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWW MORE ERERI TIME.  
> We were all waiting for this (including me, trust me o.o) and finally shiets about to happen. Why is it so hard to get a plot moving -.-
> 
> Hope it wasn't too cheesy. I just went with the flow and this has probably been my favourite chapter to write yet. Let's just say I had some motivation...or not.
> 
> This would've been up way faster if I wasn't too busy creating Ereri Sims and messing around with them O.O But honestly it is the most amusing thing, and if you have Sims you should definitely do it XD I just spent the last three hours trying to get them to make out. And "WooHoo". I have a life, I promise. Don't judge me. 
> 
> Also, I've been working on some TTHC art. I've never really coloured in my life so this is going to be a pain and I'm honestly not that good at drawing. It takes me so long compared to other people T.T Let's see how this turns out and hopefully I'll be able to show you guys soon :))))
> 
> Anyways, happy reading and thanks a lot for being here ^^  
> I love you all ♥


	13. this is not a date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> An amorous host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> It's been awhile since you've felt that burning passion, hasn't it?
> 
> Draw yourself into the warmth of the host club and rekindle the flames of your fiery heart today~! ♥

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a lot of sexual tension.  
> because this is what i need with Eren and Levi :3
> 
> And food. #hungry!eren

Water splashed all around Eren's sneakers as he trampled through the heavy puddles. He tugged on his hood in an attempt to shield himself from the tremendous downpour, though it was with little to no avail. The tearing wind seem to bend and claw at the trees which were already straining and heavy underneath the battering of raindrops. The air smelt wet and heavy, the moisture clogging up Eren's nose and ears.

Eren's breath huffed in his throat as he struggled to keep up with Levi, who, unlike Eren, did not seem to be held back whatsoever by the resistance of the rain. Eren winced as thunder crashed again, sounding as if it were right next to his ear. He didn't think he could feel anymore thankful for Levi's kindness at this point.

At the muffled sound of Levi's car unlocking beneath the showering storm, the two finally collapsed into the car, their clothes soaking onto the seats as they slammed the doors shut.

"Tch, I forgot about this," Levi grimaced at the newly, soiled state of his car. He pulled a cloth out from the side of his car when he suddenly felt water splashing on his face. He realized that Eren was shaking out his hair next to him.

Levi leaned away in distaste. "Oi, what are you? A dog?" he said.

Eren stopped and glared at Levi. "Excuse me for not wanting to look like I just dove into a lake with all my clothes on."

"Suit yourself," Levi responded, much to Eren's surprise. "The car's already a mess anyways. Just don't overdo it." Levi reached his slender fingers up to his own hair and slowly combed through the dark strands, wringing out the drops as well as he could. Eren found himself having to look away.

"By the way, you forgot this," Levi said. Eren suddenly found a white, tied up bag on his lap. After a second of closer inspection, he realized that they were the take out boxes that Hanji had offered him earlier. His eyes nearly welled up in tears.

"How did you know?" Eren asked.

"You've been working from 9 o' clock until now with nothing to consume aside from water," said the host. "It's a miracle you haven't passed out yet."

"How weak do you think I am?" Eren scoffed, clearly offended. However, his mind was already elsewhere as he untied the bag and rummaged through its contents, desperately trying not to salivate when he caught sight of the giant, juicy steak in the first box.

Levi started the car, flicking the switch for the windshield wipers. "Well, you can have that for breakfast tomorrow," Levi said bluntly.

Eren snapped out of his reverie. "Wait...WHY CAN'T I EAT IT TONIGHT?!!" he cried. He swore he would die if he had to hold back from these scrumptious goodies that were practically begging to be eaten.

Levi slowly backed his car out of parking spot, holding Eren in suspense for his answer.

When the car stopped again, Levi leaned forwards and pushed his face towards Eren's, the seatbelt stretched tautly over his chest . He gripped the steering wheel firmly with his left hand, his right hand on Eren's headrest. With the most inviting smirk on his face, Levi spoke:

"Because I'm going to take you out for dinner right now."

Eren couldn't move. He didn't back off, nor push Levi away. He wondered whether it was because of the unforeseen remark or the fact that Levi's face was literally less than a few inches away from his own. He was pretty sure it was the latter.

Finally, his sanity returned and pulled him back to reality. Eren did a double take and tore himself away from Levi, pushing himself as far back and as close to the car door as possible.

"Wh-what are you talking about?!" Eren yelped, his arms flailing madly. "Don't you realize it's past 10 o' clock at night? What restaurant could possibly be open at this time?"

"You clearly know nothing about night life, do you?" Levi remarked. "Don't you worry, we have all night."

Eren narrowed his eyes. "Don't tell me you're planning on taking me to _that_ kind of place..."

Levi sighed, returning to his proper position. "I'm not really sure what kind of place you're thinking of, but judging from that suspicious look you're giving me, rest assured...if I wanted to go to that kind of place, you're the last person I would take with me."

Eren tried not to look offended. "Well then, where are we going?"

"I wouldn't want to ruin a good surprise."

"My sister will kill me if she finds out."

"Why? This is simply your superior rewarding you after a rough day of work. Nothing wrong with that."

"I don't have any money on me."

"It'll be my treat."

Eren watched Levi intently as he shifted the gear into drive and pressed on the gas, slowly driving out of the parking lot. The storm was still doing very much to obscure their vision. This was the second time Eren had been driven by Levi, and for some reason, this time it was so much more difficult to stop fidgeting.

It was only when they had finally reached the main road when Eren started mumbling something barely audible.

"Hey, if you're going to say something, speak up," said Levi.

Eren huffed a sharp exhale and looked at Levi, not missing the chance to admire his defined profile.

"I said, why are you suddenly being so nice to me?" Eren said. "Just yesterday you couldn't stand the sight of me and looked at me like I was the most burdensome scum of the Earth."

"Is that what you took me for?" Levi responded. "I didn't think you'd take it so personally."

"You threatened to kill me. _Several times_."

The car slowly rolled up to a red light, allowing Levi a second to pull his eyes away from the road. He caught Eren's attention and then there it was again. That look. Eren's breath hitched in his throat in a manner that had become all too familiar.

"Say, Eren," Levi said, his voice quieter. "Do you hate me?" The grey eyes twinkled dangerously underneath the hazy glow of the city lights.

Eren's eyes widened despite himself. He turned away and hid his face by the window, afraid of what Levi might see. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest, as if he were about to explode. He discretely  wrapped his arms around himself to ease the feeling, though it didn't do much in the end. He only relaxed a little when he felt the car moving again, knowing that Levi would have to refocus back on the road.

But that certainly didn't stop him from speaking.

"Eren?" Levi's voice sounded yet again. "Have you fallen asleep?"

Eren gulped. He hated the tone that Levi was using right now. It was so low, so enticing that Eren just wanted to lose control and jump out of the car right then and there despite the storm.

"No, I don't hate you," Eren answered, the confidence in his voice stunning even himself. "I...I understand that what you did was necessary for both myself and the Host Club. You wanted me to do well and to keep the reputation of what you and the others had worked so hard for for the past few years. Your actions were mandatory and effective, and I have no resentment towards you whatsoever for it."

A long silence followed Eren's profound words, one that made him awfully nervous. He wondered if he had said too much, or whether Levi had even wanted such a serious answer.

"Glad to hear," Levi replied simply.

This time Eren couldn't resist the urge to glance over. But as always, he found nothing in Levi's expression. Eren wanted to keep pushing Levi, to converse a little more, but the least he could tell was that Levi was done talking. The man seemed to be pondering over something, and before Eren could help it, he realized that they had fallen into an undesirable silence, and it lasted for the rest of the ride.

When Levi had finally pulled into a different parking lot, the clock in his car marked 10:43 P.M. He immediately noticed Eren's hesitance in stepping out into the pouring rain.

"Let's go, Eren," he said. "Despite what I said before, we don't really have all night." He climbed out of the car and Eren was obliged to follow suit.

The uncomfortable, wet feeling immediately showered upon Eren the moment his head was out of the car. The storm had become so extreme at this point that Eren could barely see anything around him, let alone know where he was.

Suddenly, he felt a firm hand clasp gently around his wrist. Bearing no resistance, he let the hand drag him through the bewildering storm, leading him through the intense weather.

Before Eren knew it, the rain had stopped cascading on him, and he looked up to see that he was standing underneath an old covering from a building that looked as if it had been around way before he was born. He noted the crumbling bricks which had once been bright red in colour, and the weakly flickering OPEN sign which seemed as run down as the rest of the place. Even the door was rusty and out of date, the glass smudged and dirtied after so many years of function.

"What is this place?" Eren mumbled, mostly to himself.

"You have no patience, do you? Stay here and dry up for a few seconds. Wouldn't want you to make a mess of their place," said Levi.

Eren jolted at the sound of Levi's voice. Lost in his observations, he had forgotten that Levi had still been standing there this entire time.

It was then that Eren noticed the warmth around his wrist, which he had grown adapted to during that short period of ime. The instant Eren cast his eyes downwards, Levi let go of Eren's hand, not giving him a second to witness what would have been a thoughtful sight. Eren finally realized that Levi had been clutching onto his hand during that entire walk, steering him through the blindness of the storm. The thought made him all immaturely giddy inside.

"Hmm, you look like a real mess right now, don't you?" Levi observed.

Eren glared at Levi. " _You_ just walked through the exact same storm, you know." Regardless of his bold tone, he self-consciously brushed a few strands of hair out of his eyes.

"I don't have a punk-ass haircut like you do," Levi remarked, nodding at what seemed to be a mop sitting flaccidly on Eren's head. The comment created an even heavier impact, as Eren started to comb his fingers madly through his soaked, brown locks.

"Stop that!" Levi scowled. "You're only making it worse! Here, let me..." Levi grabbed Eren's hands and forcefully pulled them out of the way.

"Wait, I'm totally fine..." Eren began. But of course, at this point he knew it was useless to protest against pretty much anyone who was a member of the Titan Host Club, let alone the Head Host himself.

The distracting thumping of the heart returned as Eren looked down at the stern grey eyes which bore into him with concern. Delicate hands reached up towards Eren's cheeks. He nearly had to wince from the anticipation when he finally felt the pads of Levi's fingers on his temples, separated from his skin only by the thinnest strands of hair. Levi pushed the messy locks around carefully, fixing them as best as he could.

The entire time, Eren could only stare stiffly at Levi, hoping his inner thoughts wouldn't show. He felt as if Levi had moved closer. He wondered if it was just a hallucination.

Levi's hands had started drifting. The sturdy palms were suddenly on his shoulder and sliding down his arm, even going so far as to touch the sodden fabric of his sweater on his stomach.

" _Tch_. You are sogging wet...how are we going to go inside like this? You'll flood the place," said Levi.

"You mean you didn't think of this beforehand?" Eren asked. "Going out at almost 11 at night in the middle of giant storm usually doesn't end smoothly one way or another."

Levi smirked. "You don't have to worry about that."

Eren noticed a raindrop sliding down Levi's cheek, just above the corner of his taunting smirk. He was suddenly compelled to reach out and wipe it off for him. Before he could help himself, he found that his hand was already halfway between himself and Levi. His chest thumping loudly, he reached closer and closer until—

**BANG!**

_"WHAT DO YOU HORNY PUNKS THINK YOU'RE DOING FRICK-FRACKING OUTSIDE MY RESTAURANT AT THIS HOUR?!!!!"_

Eren jumped away from Levi in horror at the sound of the booming holler that had come from between them. Even the normally rigid Levi had taken a few steps backwards from the abrupt bellow.

Eren looked and saw that the door of the store had been slammed wide open, and in its opening stood a bald man with a grey mustache and stout nose, with wrinkles sketching the shadows of face. He was decked out in a white T-shirt and beige pants covered by a stained apron. He was waving a spatula in one hand, and an odd, round drink container in the other. In Eren's mind, it was quite the terrifying image.

Levi spoke up first. "Pixis! It's me! Levi!"

The man squinted at Levi for a few seconds, before a flicker of recognition glimmered on his face. He sprang towards Levi in a rush, wrapping his arms tightly around the host.

"LEVI! YOU BASTARD! IT'S BEEN SO LONG!" he gargled. "...god you're dripping wet....oh, and who's your cute little friend here?" He gave Levi a nudge in the arm, as if to suggest something.

"My name is Eren...sir, Eren Jaeger," said Eren politely.

The man went over and clapped Eren heartily on the shoulder as if they were old friends.

"Well, my boy, Eren!" he chirped. "My name is Dot Pixis. Any friend of Levi's is a friend of mine. Come in! Come in! Wouldn't want you to stay in this horrible weather in this hour."

Eren gawked silently at Levi, who gave him a cocky nod as they followed the man inside.

Eren was greeted by a humble looking shack, with metal chairs and tables lining the room. At the far end was a wooden counter, upon which perched a few glasses and a cash register which looked way past its time. Faded paintings hung crookedly on outdated wallpapers which were slowly peeling off. The lights shone too brightly, highlighting every flaw of the place. There was not another customer to be seen.

"Have a seat, have a seat! It must have been a rough drive getting here!" said Dot, carrying out a teapot and two cups. "I apologize for that rude introduction a bit earlier. You see, I could only see the silhouette through the blinds so I assumed it was some of those good-for-nothing teenagers on their nightly rampages again."

Neither Levi nor Eren raised their heads.

"Well, I would ask you why you decided to visit me at this hour but on second thought, I don't think I want to know," the man continued. "It's been too long, Levi. What's been holding you up?"

Levi carefully sipped his tea. "I've been overwhelmed with work," he replied. "That's actually why we're so late tonight, actually."

"Ah, I see, still working at that Titan place, aren't you?" Dot said. "That place brings back such good memories. I admire you for sticking with it for so long." He suddenly beamed towards Eren. "And would this doe-eyed, handsome lad be a new recruit?"

Levi nearly spat out his tea. "Please don't call him that ever again..." he mumbled.

Eren ignored Levi and smiled politely at Dot. "Yes, I joined only yesterday actually."

"Yesterday?! Why, you must be a special one if you're already privileged enough for a night out with _the_ honourable Head Host like this! My goodness, I see why you've fallen for this one, Levi. I don't blame you, those jade orbs would drive any person insane."

Eren blushed while Levi made a horrible choking noise in his tea. "Pixis, I swear, if you describe him like that one more time..."

Levi was interrupted by a horrible rumbling that was definitely not thunder. Eren wanted to crawl into a hole and die as he held his stomach, terrified that he had revealed the extent of his hunger.

To his surprise, Dot Pixis merely burst out into a hearty laugh. "Of course! Why did I forget! That's the reason why you're here! How could I have been so selfish to babble on and on like this!" He reached around his back and tightened his apron. "So, what can I get you?"

"The usual," Levi said. "Make it speedy, Pixis, I still gotta get him home after this."

"Hmph, still underestimating me, huh? I'll show you, you cocky bastard," Dot Pixis leered as he immediately disappeared. Eren stared at the man until he was gone, not sure whether to feel confused or terrified. His eccentricity reminded him a bit of Hanji, and that should never be a good thing.

"Doe-eyed, my ass," Levi grumbled as soon as he was gone. "He thinks you're some sort of innocent, young adult novel protagonist. I have never heard a more deluded statement in my life..."

"Hey! Why are you being such a grouch just because he complimented me?" Eren complained.

"Because you're a wild brat and you know it."

Eren mocked an offended expression. "Where on Earth did you get that idea from?"

"Less than an hour after you met me, you pinned me down and threatened to punch me to death."

"Well, you deserved it."

"Maybe."

To Eren's surprise, the conversation was abruptly cut short. Levi grabbed his teacup again, and Eren, not wanting the mood to become awkward, followed suit and clasped onto the handle of his own teacup. The first sip of warmth and slight bitterness brought him an unexpected fulfillment, and his mind started drifting.

"I wonder..." Eren spoke. "Yesterday...I swore I hated you, and you couldn't stand me. Yet today, here I am, sitting here with you in a strange restaurant in the middle of a storm at 11:00 p.m. And somehow, it seems completely natural. It's not like we've interacted _that_ much more today...what exactly has changed so much since then?"

Levi hadn't expected this question, and Eren knew he had to take advantage of the few moments when Levi was actually off guard. The grey eyes studied Eren for a moment, trying figuring out whether or not Eren was being serious. 

"It's funny. This is the second time you said you don't hate me, Eren," said Levi.

Eren said nothing. A bad feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that Levi was already subtly turning the tables on him.

Something changed in Levi's eyes. The normally dull and sullen orbs were suddenly much more intense. Eren pulled back, his own eyes quivering at the sudden change. It was as if they were telling Eren to anticipate the worst.

"Na, Eren..." said Levi, resting his chin in his hand. "If you really don't hate me right...what exactly do you think of me?"

Eren felt his mind throbbing and his hands shaking from Levi's question. He could feel the sweat leaking out of his pores and his heart flipping a million times in his chest. It almost sounded as if Levi was flirting with him. But Eren knew better...or at least he thought so.

"I...I don't know," Eren said earnestly. "It's strange. From the moment I met you, I felt like I already knew you from somewhere before..."

"I'd figure that was a mutual thing by now. Is that all?" asked Levi.

"I guess...if I had to say something now..." Eren thought for a moment. "I...I trust you, I guess."

"Trust? You spent that long thinking of the word _trust_?"

Eren appeared to be in turmoil. "I don't know...there's a word at the tip of my tongue right now but I just can't..." His voice trailed off again, earnestly trying to think of the best word to describe his affections. 

He heard Levi sigh from across the table. "Are you making fun of me now, brat?"

Eren looked back up, startled by the return of the hostility in Levi's tone. The abnormal glimmer had gone from Levi's eyes, and the dull, uninterested pair had returned. There was a terrible tense feeling in Eren's chest as he wondered if he had said something wrong again.

"What? I didn't say anything wrong again, did I?" Eren tried to justify.

"It's alright, Eren." Levi's tone was lighter this time. "I took you out here to give you a break from your hard day at work today. I don't want you to look so bothered like that. It was quite selfish of me."

Eren became even more confused. "Why? What did you ask of me?"

"Never mind, Eren," Levi sighed. "I wouldn't want to strain those few remaining brain cells of yours too much."

"Hey!"

"Come on, brat, don't take everything so personally," Levi smirked, raising his cup towards Eren. "Cheers."

Eren immediately clinked his own cup with Levi's, not even questioning how it was only tea in their cups and not alcohol.

"Why do you hold you teacup like that anyways?" Eren noticed. Instead of clutching the handle, Levi held onto the rim of the cup and sipped out of it like a bowl.

"Long story," Levi replied. "Maybe one day, if we have the time, I'll tell you."

"I though you mentioned earlier that you and I had all the time in the world, _heichou_."

There was a pause before Levi responded. "And then I reiterated and said we didn't. So stop being such a brat."

Eren smiled. "You know, you're calling me that so much that it's starting to sound like a term of endearment."

"I've known you for two days, Eren. How much could I have possibly used it?"

"...a lot."

Levi's eyes glinted again as he leaned slightly closer to Eren. "Moreover, there's absolutely _nothing_ endearing about a brat like you."

Eren responded by doing the same, the highlights in his eyes practically glowing. "Hmm, yet there it is again..."

This time, for the first time, neither of them turned away. They just sat there, without even fully understanding why there was a sudden feeling of such great satisfaction. For the first time, the silence between them was not awkward but comforting. 

And also for the first time, Eren managed to look quite decently composed on the outside despite how worked up he was inside.

"Levi..." The word slipped quietly out of Eren's lips before he could hold back. Levi seemed slightly startled at Eren's manner of calling his name.

"I..." Eren spoke. "I think I..." Eren's expression was getting hazier, drawing Levi towards him with his parted lips and lowered eyelids.

"Eren...?" Levi was definitely leaning closer at this point.

"Levi, I think I l—"

**"FOOD IS REAAAADYYYY~!"**

Eren and Levi practically jumped apart as Dot appeared with a giant tray, slamming it brazenly on the table between the two of them.

"What's the big idea?!" Eren yelped.

Pixis whipped out a stopwatch and pushed it at Levi's face, a triumphant smile lining his grey mustache.

"3 minutes and 48 seconds! How's that for an old man, huh?" he cackled. He slipped the watch back into his apron pocket and lifted the metal cover from the tray. Eren had to close his eyes from the brightness that radiated from within.

As a result, the ambrosia-like smell hit him first. It wafted through his nostrils with a wonderful pleasure that almost satisfied the hunger growling in his stomach. It wasn't until he opened his eyes that yet another feast began.

"Oh my god..." Eren couldn't help whispering.

The smoke billowed out from two giant bowls, as Eren ravished his eyes over the thick strands of noodles inside. A fine layer of green onion had been cut on top, as well as many slices of meat that had been cut thinly and meticulously. A variety of other vegetables and seafood lined the top, almost entirely covering the noodles beneath. Plump shrimp and round fish balls, red crab meat and even half a boiled egg: it was all there, piping hot and beautifully colourful with ingredients. Moreover, Eren's state of hunger probably made the bowl look twenty times more attractive than normal. 

"You made all this in 4 minutes...?" Eren gawked, not once tearing his eyes away.

" _No._ I made it in 3 minutes and 48 seconds. And it's going to be the best thing you've ever tasted that was made in such a short timeframe," Dot smiled.

"Give it a rest, Pixis," scolded Levi.

"I'd tell you to enjoy your meal but there's no way you won't," Pixis smirked. "I'll be back later when you're done!" And he courteously backed away from the table and left the two to enjoy their dinner on their own.

Levi glanced over to Eren, who, within that tiny frame of time, had somehow already ended up with chopsticks in his hand and a carnivorous glint in his eyes.

"Can I...?" Eren whimpered. Levi could swear there was a tiny sliver drool sliding out of the corner of his mouth.

Levi sighed. "I feel like if I said no, you'd probably try to kill me again..."

"I'll take that as a yes."

And Eren grabbed his bowl without another second of hesitance and started devouring it like he hadn't eaten in weeks. The taste was more than addicting: from the moment the first strand of noodle touched Eren's tongue, he found he couldn't stop. He kept chewing and tearing and chomping and swallowing and drinking and before he knew it, the bowl was completely clean.

He looked up at Levi, smiling widely with his lips still wet from the soup. Instead of the disgusted expression he expected, Levi seemed more amused than anything.

"It took him 3 minutes and 12 seconds to make yet it took you less than two minutes to clean the bowl," Levi remarked, a hint of a smile of his face.

Eren was about to turn away in embarrassment when he noticed that Levi hadn't even touched his own bowl yet. This entire time he had merely sat there, arms and legs crossed, observing Eren. And there it was. The beautiful bowl of Pixis' noodles, still steaming hot and unscathed whatsoever.

Eren pointed timidly at it.

"Aren't you going to eat that...?" he murmured, his eyes glowing again as they remained fixated by the magical food.

"Why? Do you want it?" inquired Levi.

Eren nodded a bit too enthusiastically.

Levi scoffed. "God, you look like a lost puppy...what's in it for me if I give this you?"

Eren thought for a moment.

"My undying loyalty and respect," Eren finally said.

"I take it back. You _are_ a lost puppy," said Levi.

He started leaning towards Eren again, resting his chin on his hand.

"How about this?" Levi started. "How about I just save this as little favour for the future, and you'll just be entitled to do something for me in return later on?"

"Nothing weird?" Eren checked.

"You have my word."

"Cool."

"Done."

With that, Eren lunged across the table and grabbed the bowl, vigorously wolfing the contents down his throat as fast as he could while Levi watched him, fully entertained.

"You're a monster, you know that?" Levi ridiculed. Naturally, Eren could not response at the rate he was practically inhaling the food.

Levi chuckled. "Slow down, brat. You're going to choke."

Eren stopped, noodles falling out of his mouth, startled by the melodic sound of Levi's laughter.

"Did you just laugh?" Eren noted.

Levi glared at Eren. "I was kind enough to give you my dinner, so stop being such a cynical bastard. I am human as you are, thus I am also capable of laughter."

Eren was about to retort, but at the mention of the word "dinner", his mind clicked back to the luxurious sensation on his tastebuds, and somehow he managed to get carried away again. But as he finished up his food, he couldn't help thinking in the back of his mind about how he had actually managed to make Levi laugh. Perhaps a night out with this brat wasn't so miserable after all. Perhaps it was actually fun. The thought made Eren all warm inside.

The moment he finished, Levi had already thrown a couple of bills on the table. Taking a last sip from his teacup, Levi immediately gestured for Eren to leave.

"But what about Dot?" asked Eren, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

Levi put a finger to his lips. "If you let him come back out now, you'll be staying here all night, forced to give compliments about his cooking."

"But—"

"I promise. You'll see him again soon. I know you want to thank him. But it's already past 11 o' clock. We need to get you home. Now come on."

Before Eren knew it, Levi had clutched his hand around Eren's wrist again and was starting to drag him towards the door. He stumbled along, staring at the back of Levi's undercut as he went.

The storm had become benign at this point, which was perfect timing according to Eren. He could now see where they were, yet he still had no idea which part of town this was. The area seemed so isolated.

The two climbed back into Levi's car, with Eren feeling satisfied but stuffed. Levi started the ignition, as the now full Eren finally felt the sluggishness hitting him after the long day.

"Tired, now?" Levi inquired.

"Yeah..." Eren responded quietly.

"Well, you're going to have to stay awake, because I don't know where you live," Levi said pointedly. "After we get back to the main road, I'll need directions."

"If you can stay awake, I can stay awake," said Eren with determination.

"Don't try to act cute with me."

"I wouldn't dare."

Eren smiled and turned away, looking out the window at the now visible scenery along the sides of the road. It was comfortable, with Levi empathetic enough to keep quiet and let him rest his remaining energy as much as he could. When they reached a main road, Eren directed him as promised, after which they drifted back into their soothing silence once again.

 _Levi._ The Head Host was starting to have more and more of a mysterious aura to him in Eren's mind. He had become difficult to understand. Just yesterday he had been ruthless and demanding, yet today...

A jolt of realization washed over Eren that Levi must've been just as busy as himself if not more that entire morning.  A gnawing feeling of guilt arose in Eren. There was something more to this.

"Hey, Levi..." Eren spoke, his voice laden with a concern that seemed out of place.

"Hmm?"

"Aren't you hungry?"

"No."

"You gave up your meal for me, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"But you haven't eaten all morning either..."

Levi didn't respond.

"Why did you give me you portion then?"

"You seemed like you really wanted it. I'm probably more decent at tolerating my needs anyway."

"But you didn't have to...for me..." Now Eren felt _really_ guilty. Levi wasn't just being nice anymore. This was something else.

They were getting closer and closer to Eren's home, when Levi started speaking again.

"Stop worrying about it. I would've eaten if I wanted to. I was not in the mood."

This time, Eren felt furious. "How could you not?! You said so yourself! You're human too! What human could possibly not feel hunger after working non-stop for thirteen hours without anything to eat?"

At this point, Eren's house was just around the corner, much to Eren's relief. He was feeling exasperated enough as it was. He just wanted to go to sleep.

"Why? Are you feeling guilty about it now after it's all been done with?" said Levi. "You're the one who wolfed everything down with no hesitation."

"But you let me!" Eren protested. "My house is right there, by the way."

The car rolled to a stop, right outside the door of Eren's quaint home. Levi shifted the gear into park and pulled up the handbrake. Eren wasn't sure if he should just run for it. Despite his options, he remained next to Levi, not moving an inch. Not even when Levi leaned over and rested his arm on Eren's headrest again, much like he had when the night had began.

"So, Eren? What do you want to do about it now?" Levi asked, a leer in his voice.

Eren cringed. "How am I supposed to know?" He was getting annoyed, already regretting not leaving earlier.

"Perhaps I should just eat you up for compensation."

"What?" Eren was not sure if he had heard the words correctly, looking over to Levi for reconfirmation.

Eren realized he definitely hadn't misheard when he noticed the predatory glint in Levi's eyes. Levi's seatbelt was gradually more and more stretched as he was slowly leaning closer and closer to Eren's face again.

"What are you doing?!" Eren yelped, backing away.

To Eren's horror, Levi responded by unbuckling his seatbelt and practically crawled over the middle to get to Eren. He hadn't infiltrated Eren's personal space to the point of discomfort yet but he was getting damn close. And much to Eren's own disbelief, his own heart was pounding harshly in his chest again, and he could feel his nerves tingling from every corner of his body.

"Na, Eren? What are you thinking of right now?" Levi spoke. His voice had returned to that low tone again. That tone that made Eren's head spin.

Something clicked in Eren's fuzzy mind, as he blurted out a question that had been gnawing at the back of his head the entire night.

"Hey...this wasn't a date or anything right?"

Levi stopped for a second, as if to ponder Eren's question.

Suddenly, Levi lunged forward so that their lips were barely touching. Eren felt his breath hitch in his throat.

 _Don't tell me he's going to_ —

"Of course not," Levi spoke plainly.

And before Eren could even comprehend what was going on, Levi had returned to his regular position in the driver's seat. He reached up and refastened his seatbelt as if nothing were the matter. As if their little interaction had never even happened. As if he had never bothered locking eyes with Eren in such a captivating maner. As if he had never even revved Eren's heart to such a dangerous pace.

"Would I take you to such a shabby place if it was a date?" Levi said. Eren could only stare back in disbelief when Levi looked over and gave him a smile that was almost teasing.

"Go to sleep, brat," he said. "You're probably completely drained by now."

Eren found he had been rendered speechless for quite some time now. And his limbs had become immobile.

Levi courteously unlocked the doors of his car, as a sign that Eren had to go.

"It's getting late," said Levi. "We both have an early morning tomorrow."

Something snapped in Eren when Levi hinted at work. He limply lifted his right hand and opened the door, stepping out with his eyes focused blankly in front of him. He still said nothing, even when he slammed the door shut behind him and started walking towards his house.

Even then, he could hear the sound of the window rolling down behind him.

"Good night, _Eren_."

The gentle words were followed by the noise of the engine starting and then finally fading away into the darkness of the late night.

Eren somehow stumbled his way inside, after which he managed to drag himself up to his bedroom. He undressed all the way down to his boxers and collapsed onto his bed, his green eyes still staring blankly at the ceiling. Garbled thoughts thoroughly messed up his mind as he laid there. It had been undeniable all night that his attraction towards Levi had reached a dangerous extremity. As much as he had been trying to deny it the entire day, it was all too much for him.

Levi had been the only one to help him out when he had been struggling at the restaurant, and afterwards he was even kind enough to drive him home when no one else could. And as if that wasn't enough, he even treated Eren to a meal in the middle of the night just to recognize his hard work.

It was all  awfully touching, and it wasn't as if Eren hadn't been noticing Levi enough before. The stolen glances, the playful bickering, the car ride, the karaoke party, the brushing touches. Eren felt like he would've continued to admire Levi even if the captain had decided to keep his hostility. The sudden kindness had merely been the cherry on top.

Eren sighed to himself as he turned onto his side.

Who the hell was Levi kidding.

Eren was definitely not getting any sleep tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh gawd. When describing the noodles I almost typed half a boiled eye instead of half a boiled egg. 
> 
> That would've been fun.
> 
> I should totally write an alternate version of the ending of this chapter...if you know what i mean *wink wink*
> 
> I was planning to update on Friday night, but I got so caught up in other business that it had to hold off until today. So sorry about that :/
> 
> Was there too much doki doki? Maybe. But Eren's confused right now...I guess. And yes Pixis is a goddamn cockblock but no matter how I look at it what else would suit him as much in that kind of story XD It would be Hanji but she's a bit more...supportive.
> 
> THis was a long chapter and I definitely don't know how I feel about tbh XD At least it gets the story moving and that's what I need at this point. There was a lot of FoodxEren as per request of you guys ;P
> 
> As always, thank you for reading~! And I hope you guys will look forward to the next chapter~♥
> 
> ILY <33333


	14. sweet dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A soothing host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> So much to do, so little time. :( Sound like you? Well, look no further. 
> 
> The host club will surely divert you from all your worrisome troubles ;P 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay! I'll tell you why at the bottom :)

"Eren...? OIIIIII~! Eren, are you awake?"

Armin waved his hand manically in front of Eren's face, but it was to absolutely no avail. His best friend was lying sprawled out on a table at the host club, his face buried into his arms.

"What's gotten into him?" Christa asked with concern as she walked up to them, adjusting her petite black skirt as she went.

"I don't know," replied Armin. "But it looks like he didn't get much sleep last night for some reason."

"Oh poor thing, how is he supposed to work like this?" Christa frowned.

"He will," Ymir appeared out of nowhere, draping an arm around Christa. "Though it's a shame Horseface isn't here to make fun of him today."

"Are you two ever apart?" Armin inquired at the consistent newly-wed feel of the couple.

"Why should we be?" Ymir snarled, only gripping Christa even tighter. "Just because you're also a short blondie doesn't mean you're automatically qualified to be with her. In fact, you're not even _close_."

"I didn't want to be anyways," sighed Armin.

Ymir pointed at Eren. "Look. Sleeping Angry is mumbling about something."

"Sleeping... _what?_ "

Ymir scoffed. "Well, he's no beauty. Now shut up."

Armin and Christa obediently hushed up at once and leaned closer to Eren's sleeping body.

"Don't...don't touch that..."

The three people's ears perked up.

Eren shifted and turned onto his other side, his arms flailing as if he was trying to push something away.

"Don't...hey...!"

Eren moved violently, startling the audience that he was unaware of.

"HEY....."

The three stared intently.

"... _chou_." And with that he slumped his head back onto the table again.

Armin suddenly let out a very panicked scream, diverting everyone's attention back to him as he grabbed Eren's shoulder.

"ALL RIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH!" he said flusteredly, as he shook Eren, sweat beads dripping down his forehead. "Hey, Eren! Wake up! People are watching you, wake up!" To his dismay and Ymir's amusement, Eren was far from waking and only started yelling louder.

"Heichou...no!" It was clearly audible now. "Don't.... _heeiiichooou~_!"

Armin looked around in fear, worried that someone else had heard. Eren was getting loud. Like _really_ loud. As of yet, there was no one else in the parlour, but he shuddered to think what would happen if another walked in.

Meanwhile, Ymir was having the time of her life.

"Wow, this is great!" Ymir laughed. "I need a keepsake." She started to dig around inside her jacket.

"Please don't..." Armin begged.

Ymir glared at him as she pulled out a sleek, polished smartphone. "Dude, this is entertainment for days. Imagine what'll go down what I show the old shorty this clip."

Christa reacted for the first time since their observing Eren, as she reached up to grab Ymir's phone.

"You know he's right, Ymir, we might get in trouble too if this goes on," Christa said.

Ymir's expression softened at once. Armin scoffed as she tucked the phone away obediently, shooting a prideful look at him for some ominous reason.

"See what happens when someone who's actually smart makes a suggestion? Everything just falls into place," Ymir goaded. Armin decided it was useless to retort with anything at this point.

"What are you waiting for? Wake him up before someone sees," Ymir ordered.

"I tried, didn't you see?" Armin said. "It's like he's drunk or something."

"Drunk in _luuuuurrrve_ ," Ymir drawled.

" _...seriously?!_ "

"Stop trying to get on my level with the rhetorical questions, shota boy. Give it up, and wake up your damn friend before—"

"What's going on here?"

A sullen voice interrupted them, and all three turned around to see the last person they wanted to see at this point.

"HEICHOU!" Armin yelped, glancing to Eren nervously, praying that he wouldn't do anything stupid now.

Levi crossed his arms, looking at them suspiciously before nodding to Eren.

"Why is he playing dead on the parlour table right now?" Levi asked apathetically.

Ymir shrugged. "Idk bro. I just got here too." Armin did everything he could to resist from kicking her right in the shin."Speaking of which, Christa and I were just on our way, see ya!" And with that, she grabbed Christa's hand and pulled her away at lightning speed.

Which left Armin with The Most Awkward Position of The Year.

"Um...do you want me to wake him up?" he tried nervously.

Levi gave him and exasperated look, pushing him out of the way as he walked towards Eren himself.

"Something tells me if you were capable of waking him up, you would've done so already," Levi said. He made his way to the back of Eren's chair. "I'll handle it, you go on with your work."

Panic flashed immediately in Armin's mind. "Wait, heichou, I don't think that's a good ide—"

Before he could even reach out his hand to Levi, the host had already placed his hand on Eren's shoulder and started shaking him.

"Oi, Eren, wake up," Levi said, right next to Eren's ear.

Armin closed his eyes and cringed.

"Heichou...is that you...? Heichou..." Eren started mumbling again, his eyes still closed.

Levi looked at Armin, silently inquiring at the situation. Armin could only turn away in embarrassment, dreading himself for somehow getting involved in this.

"Heichou..." Eren started slightly thrashing again.

"Yes, it's me," Levi tried responding.

"Heichou, I told you not to touch....that..."

Levi and Armin both froze. One in shock. The other in terror.

"It's not going to fit...it's too big!...no...ah, heichou...ah... _heichoou~_ "

Armin looked in horror as Levi turned a bright shade of red that Armin never knew he was capable of being.

"I'm so sorry..." was the only thing Armin could say.

"I'm going to have to take this somewhere else," Levi stated.

Flustered, he grabbed both of Eren's arms and threw them around his shoulders, carrying him out of his seat. With strength that seemed inhuman, Levi puttered towards the back, leaving behind a permanently traumatized Armin.

Levi made his way to the break roon and threw Eren down onto the floor, patting him and doing everything he could to wake him up.

"Oi, Eren! Snap out of it!" he yelled, lightly slapping his cheeks.

"Heichou..."

Levi was at the end of his rope. "Wake up, brat!" he growled. He suddenly threw his legs over his body, practically straddling him, leaned forwards, and grabbed both of his ears, pulling as hard as he could.

Eren's agonized scream came at once as his eyes flashed open in a flurry, startled by the painful sensation.

It could only be instinctual to thrash about at the rude awakening, but as Eren attempted to do so, he found that there was an abnormal weight on his body.

He shifted uncomfortably, allowing his blurry eyes some time to readjust. Slowly, he saw the slender outline of a figure above him, still fuzzy and unrecognizable. There was a head of dark hair covering a pale, angular face. The body was thin, and undoubtedly heavy, covered by a dark outfit.

_No way...it can't be..._

He blinked, once, twice.

And then he yelped and recoiled in horror when he realized that Levi himself was perched over top of him, legs on either side of his waist and a murderous expression on his face.

"Levi?! What are you doing here?!" Eren screeched, trying to push him off, but naturally to no avail.

Levi only leaned forwards, putting more of his weight onto Eren, who felt as if he was going to be crushed to death.

"You've got quite the snippy mouth, considering it was _you_ who was having mumbling indecent things about me for everyone to hear only seconds ago," Levi sneered.

"What are you talking about?!" Eren struggled. "Wasn't I sleeping just now?!"

Levi shifted, lifting himself off slightly and pushing his face into Eren's. Eren gulped, as he stopped struggling.

"Na, Eren? What were you dreaming about?" Levi asked.

Levi noticed the immediate tensing of the brunette's body as soon as he asked his question. He observed at the brat's cheeks reddened slowly, his expression becoming more and more flustered, and his fingers starting to twitch in discomfort.

He started to stutter. "Well....uh...someone...I guess..."

"Tell me, Eren. Who was in your dream just now?" Levi asked calmly.

Eren tilted his head away, closing his eyes. "Uh...well..."

"Speak up, Eren...I can't hear you."

"Okay, I suddenly feel really uncomfortable—"

Levi clutched Eren's wrist, pushing him back and pinning him to the ground with his hands. Eren could only stare back at his captain with widened eyes, his mind unable to decide what to do.

"Answer me, Eren. You sure enough have told everyone else," Levi practically growled.

"What are you talking about?!" Eren yelped, now extremely worried about his restrained position.

"You were mumbling in your sleep."

Eren stopped moving again, this time turning beet red. Levi decided this was the end point.

"So, Eren? Can you tell me now?" Levi asked again.

Eren caved. "I'm sorry! I WAS DREAMING ABOUT YOU, OKAY?!"

Levi refrained from smirking at the brat's distress. "Really, Eren? And what was I doing with you in the dream?"

Eren turned away in embarrassment. "We were decorating my bedroom together and you were trying to fit a bunch of giant flowers into this extremely fragile glass vase and you were touching all the tiny glass pieces on it and it looked like it was about to break and it was a really weird dream I'm so sorry, heichou!"

Levi sat up at once. "I knew it! You perverted br—wait, what?"

Eren covered his face in embarrassment. "I get it, okay! I won't dream about you anymore so stop harassing me!"

Levi glared at him. "Tch, who the hell could ever harass you?"

Eren slowly let his green eyeball peek out from between his fingers. "Wait...that's it? You won't try to kill me or anything?"

"You have such a strange mind..." Levi mused, looking down at Eren. He kept trying to form some sort of imagery of Eren's dream in his mind but found himself incapable.

"Heichou...?"

For some reason, Eren suddenly found he didn't have the heart to move from his position. Not when he had such a great view of Levi's stern, captivating grey eyes looking down on him like this. It was a once in a lifetime chance, that was for sure. It felt...nice, somehow.

Until Levi interrupted the silence.

"Wait a minute, why the hell was I decorating _your_ _bedroom_?"

Eren's face suddenly contorted with anger.

He exploded. "GODDAMMIT! THAT WAS THE WEIRD PART. HAVEN'T YOU BEEN YOU BEEN PAYING ANY ATTENTION? WHAT THE HELL WERE _YOU_ THINKING ABOUT?"

Now it was Levi's turn to be taken aback. He retorted by pushing Eren back down.

"How dare you talk back to me like that, you tactless brat?" he snarled.

Eren wasn't giving up this time. "Geez, get off me, you strange, violent old man!" he spat as he struggled violently. The two commenced a tiny wrestling match on the floor, with Levi desperately trying to keep Eren down while Eren resisted with all of his strength.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!"

"YOU HEARD ME."

"I wasn't the one dreaming about another person in my _bedroom_!"

"It was a minor detail!"

"It was a _crucial_ detail!"

"What did you think I was dreaming about anyways?!"

"...it doesn't matter."

"Goddammit...GET OFF ME."

**BAM!**

Eren and Levi were startled from their spat when they heard the abrupt noise. They both stopped and looked towards the direction of the noise to see Hanji standing by the door, looking down on them both: Eren was sprawled on the floor with Levi straddling over him, his waist was pressed against Eren's, his legs spread on either side of it. His hand was holding down one of Eren's arms while Eren's free hand was tugging at Levi's shirt. And that wasn't to mention the state of their legs all tangled up and rubbing all over against each other. 

She stared silently for a second, her eyes hidden beneath the glare of her glasses.

"Sorry, wrong room."

And with that, Hanji slammed the door shut as quickly as she'd opened it. During the silence that followed, the two could hear her footsteps disappearing at an uncomfortably quick pace down the hallway.

Levi was the first to glare at Eren, and naturally it wasn't long before Eren too commenced a battle-to-the-death staring contest with the former.

They both screamed at the exact same time.

"NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, so sorry it took so long to update, but I'm afraid it will be a regular pattern from now ):
> 
> I just started university recently so I'm naturally overloaded with work.  
> Naturally, I'll try to update whenever I can, but please understand that school work has to be priority and I can't afford to get behind on work :)
> 
> But yeah, even though I took so long I'm so thankful to you guys for still reading XD  
> Even this chapter was a little short and I apologize but i think these delays and short chapters will be something we all have to get used to ):
> 
> Even so, I writing a merman!Eren fanfic which I will post soon, so I guess we can look forwards to that. ^^
> 
> Either way, thank you so much, and I love you <3
> 
> Hopefully, I'll get to hear from you soon ^^
> 
> P.S. Thanks to those who pushed me to update...couldn't have done without you ;P


	15. Cosday ~ hallow's eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A spoooooky host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> Today's Special Menu: ~Blood~ 
> 
>   
> AHHHH! BEHIND YOU!!! Just kidding, there's your trick for the night! :3  
> If you're brave enough to enter there's also a sweet treat waiting for you inside~!! 

Eren's eyebrow twitched in annoyance as he scanned the room

"Okay..." he spoke. "You guys seem to all suit your costumes one way or another but....WHY THE FUCK AM I A CAT?!"

The zipper was pulled up as Eren tugged restlessly at his tight fitting black fur clinging to his body, hugging every curve of his waist, every dip of his legs. It was hot and unbearable, the thick coat of fur covering every inch of his body. His fingers were rendered useless by the horrible paws and the headband which was attached to the large black ears was too tight for his head. Not to mention the ridiculous tail that was sticking out of his butt and bouncing back and forth with every step he took.

"This is not what you told me I would be wearing," Eren fumed as he glared at everyone else in envy.

Christa was as cute as hell in her adorable elf costume. Ymir was dressed as a pirate, complete with an eyepatch and all. Marco had become the literal dictionary definition of Prince Charming. Even Armin decently endearing in his Hogwarts wizard attire. And Jean...

"SHUT UP JAEGER. I'M A FUCKING HORSE. AGAIN. FOR EVERY YEAR I'VE BEEN HERE," Jean yelled. "I DON'T GET IT. WHAT IS WITH THIS ONGOING JOKE?"

And there he was. A ludicrous standing horse with hair that was falling out of places. Jean was clutching onto his ulterior horse head, which was the goofiest thing that Eren had ever seen in his life. Eren never thought he would actually be relieved to see Jean:then again, he always managed to make him feel so much better about himself.

"Oh shut up, Jean," Eren grinned viciously. "Just be grateful Hanji didn't decide to put you and Marco together and make you the rear end."

"Hey—!"

"Be quiet, you two, your costumes are perfect!" Hanji was looking absolutely horrifying in her surgeon outfit (Eren was still contemplating whether those blood smears were real or not). "And Eren, you're not a cat...you're a _bat_."

"What."

Hanji beamed as she pulled out a pair of deteriorating black wings and fangs.

"It's okay...bats and cats are both closely related anyhow..." Hanji said as she forced the fangs into Eren's mouth.

"...how?"

"They're both mammals. Duh. Here!" And she shoved the wings onto Eren's arms before he could protest.

"But why?! Why a _bat?_!"

"You'll see," Hanji winked, walking back towards the others.

"It could've been worse..." Armin whispered. "She could've made us crossdress."

"She tried it with you, didn't she?" Eren remarked, still squirming uncomfortably in his suit.

"How'd you know? Thank god I snuck this in my bag just in case," he said as he adjusted his blue tie.

Eren frowned in jealousy. He should've known this was going to happen when Hanji announced their Halloween theme was today.

The door suddenly slammed open and Magical Battle Potato Princess Sasha and Super Ultra Onion Prince Connie came running in, while aiming jelly beans into each other's mouths (and failing horribly). ("Why is Connie an onion prince?" Eren had asked earlier. "Cause his head looks like an onion," Armin had responded.)

"Look how much fun they're having. Why couldn't I make my own costume?" Eren complained to Armin.

"The line is huuuuuge!" Sasha squealed in delight. "They're so excited out there! Look! They gave us free candy!" She tossed another jellybean at Connie who actually caught it this time.

"That would be the point of Halloween," Eren heard Ymir mumble.

"It's going to be great!" Connie yelled, pumping his fist into air. "Can't we let them in yet? It's only five minutes until 9! Please please please!"

"Calm down, children," Jean smirked. "Your patience shall be rewarded."

The door opened, and Annie, Bertholdt and Reiner appeared. Bertholdt was a literal knight in shining armor while Reiner looked more handsome than usual in his woodsman outfit. Annie was the most surprising of them all. For one thing, she was wearing makeup, as well as a long glistening, white and blue dress which trailed on the floor. On her head perched a glistening tiara, while her hands clasped daintily in front of her.

She glared at Eren who was squinting at her.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Eren frowned. " _Elsa?_ "

Annie scowled. "What about you? A confused cat who dreams of flying? Suits you."

"IT'S A BAT COSTUME."

"Oh, now that's even cuter."

"Fight me."

"Okay, okay that's enough," Reiner stepped in between them, forcing them apart. "Yo, where's Levi? He's the only one left."

"Levi? Late again?" Christa asked incredulously.

"Oh no, he was on time today," Hanji grinned. "It's just his costume's a bit...extravagant."

Eren's chest suddenly thumped at the thought of what Levi's costume would be. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen the captain yet that night. His mind started spinning as he pictured Levi in a marine captain outfit, complete with the hat and all. Then again, Levi would also make quite the sexy vampire, all draped in black, complete with fangs and red eye contacts. Or perhaps, maybe it was something that would show off his body. Like an Arabian Prince costume, or maybe a swimmer...or even better a jungle man concept...or...

"Eren, you're drooling," Armin said.

"What...oh...sorry. Can you wipe it off for me?" Eren held up his giant back paws in apology.

"God, you're useless." Armin frowned and grabbed a tissue from the side.

"Sorry."

"Oi, Eren, he's taking a bit long. Why don't you go check up on him?" Hanji ordered suddenly.

"WHAT?! Why me?!" Eren protested.

"Cause you're a black ball of fur and rage right now and you need to be disciplined. Now go."

Eren groaned as he stumbled towards the door, walking down towards the male change room.

"Black ball of rage, my ass," he mumbled angrily as he knocked on the door.

"OIIII~! LEVIIIII~! Are you in there?!"

Silence.

That's weird. He was sure Hanji had mentioned he was in here.

He knocked again. "Yo. Levi. Did you get murdered by a ghost in there or something? So weak of you."

"Shut up, brat!" came the familiar annoyed tone.

"Get out here! Everyone's waiting for you!"

"Not right now, Jaeger."

"...is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine. Now go and tell them I'll be right there."

"Heichou, you normally don't take this long."

"I said I'm fine, Jaeger!"

"Are you sure?"

"What do you think?!!"

The tone was condescending and clearly on the verge of explosion. Anyone else would've simply backed off.

But not Eren.

"...you need help, don't you?" Eren said.

Silence.

"...just get in here," Levi finally submitted.

"Yes, sir!" Eren smiled gleefully.

Eren grabbed the doorknob without hesitance and practically ran inside, not missing the opportunity to ridicule Levi for whatever it was he was struggling with.

"So even the almighty Heichou has problems—"

His words got lodged in his mouth when he finally saw his Heichou for the first time that night.

Or rather, he was staring at Levi's bare back, peeking out in all of its pale facade beneath an open zipper that went all the way down to just below his waist. He too, was wearing a onesie suit just like Eren's, but judging by the way Eren's stomach was flipping all over the place, his was probably nowhere near as provocative as Levi's.

"Stop standing there like a zombie, brat," he scowled, struggling adorably as he reached back with his paws in an attempt to grab his zipper.  _His paws._ "I can't zip this thing up with these stupid things! Get over here!"

Eren glided in a trance over to Levi's beautifully exposed back, a flush rapidly spreading across his face as he glazed over the alluring dip in the smooth and bare skin. His eyes lingered over the end of the zipper, which was lying _just_ above Levi's tailbone. He nearly fainted when he saw the band of Levi's underwear barely peeking out from the bottom.

_Oh my god, where should I even put my hands...?_

Desperate to calm himself down, Eren gritted his teeth and touched the end of the zipper, being so, _so_ careful to not actually touch Levi. It was becoming harder and harder to ignore how flustered he was becoming. His other hand grabbed the material, accidentally brushing the skin.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. In one deep breath, he pulled the zipper up in swift motion to get it over with as quickly as possible. He turned away to breathe normally as Levi fixed himself up, straightening out his outfit.

"About time," Levi grunted. He then noticed Eren's expression. "What's with that face?"

"Umm..er...nothing," Eren stammered. "This is totally my normal face."

Levi's thin lips cracked into a smirk. "Don't tell me you got excited just from seeing my bare skin?"

Eren did a double take. "WHAT?! NO...! O-obviously not! _Pfft._ What loser would get excited from just that?!" He was waving his hands all over the place.

"You're an idiot, Jaeger," Levi commented blatantly, though he did seem quite pleased with himself.

Eren blushed. "Stop being so full of yourself..." he mumbled.

"It's my job," Levi responded. "Though I'm not sure I can put up with it any longer if the witch keeps making me wear stuff like _this_."

Eren snapped back to attention when he realized that he had forgotten to see what Levi's costume _actually was._

He didn't know whether to be disappointed or amused.

"Um...what is that?" Eren pointed at the abomination that was dark brown onsie.

"The hell am I supposed to know," Levi scowled. He walked over to the side table and picked something up. When he turned back, Eren couldn't believe his eyes.

Puppy ears.

He never would've thought he would see the proud Captain Levi wearing _puppy ears_ in his life.

"You're a... _dog?_ " Eren muffled his laughter. Then again, part of him knew his berating mockery was really to hide the fact that he actually thought Levi looked absolutely adorable like this.

"No. I'm a 'werewolf', she says," Levi grumbled. He was becoming increasingly annoyed with his paws which were making it difficult to straighten out the ears.

Eren couldn't help it. "PFFT."

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you," Levi glared. "You look like a confused cat demon with wings."

"HEY! I'M A BAT!"

Levi raised an eyebrow. "Defensive much?"

Eren closed his mouth. Hanji had even managed to brainwashed him to become offended by people's inquiries to his stupid outfit.

"I'm a little disappointed though," Eren remarked. "I thought the legendary Head Host would have a much fancier costume for such a grand celebration." He tried to ignore Levi's distracting tail.

"You should've seen what she put me in last year," Levi said, finally sorting out the ears.

Eren's eyes flickered in curiosity. "What was it?"

He thought he saw Levi shudder a little. "Let's just say I went home _very_ late that night."

 

* * *

 "Oh no, Mr. Wolf, please don't eat me," Eren said monotonely.

"You better fly away like the pretty little bat you are because I'm coming to get you," Levi replied in the exact same tone.

"Ahhhh. Mr. Wolf, you're too strong and fast, you're devouring me. Ahhhhh."

"That's right, you naughty bat, you better not resist or else I'm going to—Hanji, what the fuck is this shit?"

Hanji started whining. "Aw come on! It was just getting to the good part! You two need to practice if you're going to do well tonight!" Levi and Eren could only stare in disgust at the papers in their hands.

"Remind me why I have to do this again?" Levi asked.

"It's a business expansion plan, to introduce possible new Host Duos. The revolutionary concept to bring out all the moe: a forbidden romance between a werewolf and a vampire!" Hanji squealed.

"You got vampire and werewolf from a _cat and dog suit?_ " Eren gawked. Talk about creativity in its most terrifying form.

"We're low budget, it's the best we can do," Hanji waved her hand dismissively. "Who knows? It just might be a hit."

"Not with this crap, it won't be," Levi said, tossing his script onto the table heartlessly.

"Awwww Levi, you're so cold. I worked on that for a whole five minutes of my life! See, Eren likes it, don't you Eren?"

"Errrrr...." Eren managed.

"Look, I'll partner with the bat—brat, if I have to. But let me just do it of my free will. I've never done well with these planned scripts," Levi said.

"But..."

"We'll be fine. Now, come, bat—BRAT...goddammit." Levi nodded towards the door and Eren obediently followed him. Hanji stared as their tails swung in unison as they walked away.

"Oh, but you guys are _so cute_ together in those outfits!" Hanji squealed as she followed them out.

"SHUT UP." The two ridiculed males spoke and turned back in unison. Hanji's smile only broadened as she took in the adorably flushed faces peeking out from beneath the animal ears.

"My god, I am such a genius!" she screeched and pushed them both out into the parlour in excitement.

_Phase 1. Start!_

* * *

 

The interior of the Host Club had once again been completely refurnished. This time, all the furniture was removed and all the lights were turned off,the interior resembling a party floor. Candles provided the only lighting, casting creepy shadows on the Gothic decorations which lined the floor and walls. Hanji's idea of "spooky" music played in the background. Apparently every year on Hallow's Eve, the Titan Host Club creates a classy night party where everyone was welcome to wear their best costumes to come and converse with the hosts or have a few special Halloween treats from the kitchen crew. One year, Connie and Ymir even planned a Haunted House together in the back hallway of the Host Club. However, it was so dreadfully realistic that some customers ended up calling the police, which resulted in it being banned forever.

The hosts were scattered across the floor on this particular night, interacting constantly with their customers. Hanji remained behind the counter (which had somehow been replaced with a coffin) and gave out free, suspicious-looking dark red drinks to each and every customer. Even Mike, Petra, Auruo, Gunther and  Erd were freed from duty that night, finally escaping from the confines of the kitchen as they handed out pastries and treats to every customer. Granted, they had stayed up the entire previous night working precariously in order to finish the treats. Perhaps it was worth it, as Eren had caught sight of Petra a few times in her ladybug costume, brimming with happiness when people complimented her pumpkin cookies.

At a particular moment in the night, Eren and Levi were by the side, conversing with two talkative girls both dressed in matching witch costumes.

"Eren! Is that a _neko costume_? That's adorable!"

"Oh my gosh, Captain Levi, I _never_ thought I'd see you in a puppy costume ever!"

Eren and Levi exchanged glances with each other. Naturally, their innate interpretations clearly did not match Hanji's eccentric ones.

"It's nice to see the two of you together anyhow! We've heard a lot about the charming newcomer Eren but since we're loyal customers to Levi, we haven't been able to get a chance to meet you!" the red-headed girl said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nana," Eren smiled politely.

"Ehhhh?!! Me too! I like you too, Eren! I think you're adorable!" her friend Lala whined to get Eren's attention. Eren repeated his courtesies.

"MAGICAL BATTLE POTATO PRINCESS SASHA COMING THROUGH!!!!!"

There was a flash of pink and purple as Sasha came rushing by in roller blades as glasses of red liquid appeared in the two guests' hands. The Potato Princess waved with one hand while skilfully balancing the tray of "blood" in the other hand.

"Oh my. That's thick. It actually feels like blood," Nana said.

"Mmm, but it's surprisingly good, isn't it?" Lala responded.

"Don't drink too much, you might get addicted," Levi said suddenly.

"Huh?"

He smiled. "Nothing."

The girls shrugged and took another sip before diverting their attention to Eren.

"So Eren! Levi! Are you two going out?!" Nana asked suddenly.

The kitty cat's eyes widened at the sudden question. "That's definitely not—"

He was stopped abruptly by Levi holding a brown paw up in front of his face.

"This information is currently classified and we cannot disclose it as of yet," Levi smiled.

Eren stared at Levi. "Um...Levi...what are you..."

"So does that mean yes?!" Lala squealed. "I knew it! I knew you guys were just keeping it a secret!"

"Wait a minute!" Eren interrupted. "Where did you guys even get this idea from?"

Nana smiled. "Oh please, every regular customer at the Titan Host Club is aware of Captain Levi's being smitten with a pretty newcomer. There's pictures everywhere!"

"P...p-pictures?" Eren stammered.

"Oh, stop pretending you don't know!" Lala teased. She took out her phone and showed Eren the wallpaper. "Look! That's clearly you and Levi, isn't it?"

Eren squinted at the photo, and saw an image of Levi apparently crawling over top of Eren with a furious expression on his face. He recalled the situation: it had been right after he had spilled coffee on Levi and they got into their little spat. In the context of the photo, the anger could've easily been mistaken for passion. Levi's legs were on either side of Eren's waist, and his wrists were pinned down to the floor: it was quite the suggestive pose.

Naturally, Eren immediately lost all of his host-like comformities. "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT FROM?!"

"It was posted online! Everyone's seen it, and there's more where that came from," Nana said joyfully.

"How..?! When..." Eren could barely speak. Oh _my god, Levi is going to kill me._

"It's alright, Eren," Levi finally spoke. "If they found the photos, there's no need in denying their existence."

Eren swore Nana and Lala's faces lit up like lightbulbs.

Before Eren noticed what was going on, Levi had clutched Eren's wrist with his giant paw and pulled him closer. With his other paw, he reached up to face, caressing his cheek and then sliding upwards to poke at Eren's fake ears.

"Besides, with an adorable face like yours, it's no surprise that people would want to take pictures," Levi murmured in a deep voice.

Eren turned bright, bright red, almost as red as Nana and Lala were. _Did he just call me adorable?_ Levi leaned in and pressed his lips against the fake ears. Even though he shouldn't have felt anything at all, Eren's heart started vamping up to an incredible speed. Levi's paw glided down Eren's cheek, stopping at his chin and nudging his face up so that he was forced to look at his Captain. In the corner of his eyes, he could sense what were undoubtedly bright camera flashes coming Nana's and Lala's phones. He wasn't sure what expression his face was showing right now, but his lack of control had already become out of hand.

"Won't you be my adorable little cat forever, Eren?" Levi whispered, finishing with a wink. Eren's heart was beating madly beneath his furry exterior.

 **"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~!"** came the deafening screeches from the two girls.

"IT'S TOO MUCH~! I CAN'T!" Nana screamed.

"TOO STRONG! TOO POWERFUL!!" Lala followed.

They clutched onto their phones as of they were prized possessions and ran away frantically, screaming in pure ecstasy. Eren could only stare after them, incredibly bewildered.

Levi recoiled away from Eren at last.

"Not bad, brat," he said. "You did a great job, playing along."

Now Eren was even more confused. "Pl-playing along?"

"Perhaps I misjudged your sense," Levi said. "When funny customers like that show up, it's best to give them what they want. Hanji tries to give us scripts but isn't so much better when comes so naturally?"

Eren's heart sank. _So it was all for work._ He did his best to not show his disappointment. He noticed Levi was still looking at him, not to mention smiling at him.

"What?" Eren inquired. "Do I have something on my face?"

Levi sighed. He leaned closer to Eren.

"Though I'm not going to lie," Levi spoke. "That blushing face of yours really is adorable. Especially underneath those giant ears."

Eren's eyes widened, not sure if he had even heard the right thing. _Is this a ploy again? Wait, there's no one around. Is he really...?_ Eren felt his breath hitch in his throat when he saw how close Levi's face was to him. As ridiculously as the puppy ears were, Levi somehow managed to make them look charming, and this ultimately caused him to become ten times more distracting than normal. Eren suddenly recalled an imagery of the fine curve of Levi's beautifully exposed back underneath his unzipped suit, caused the blood to rush to his face all over again.

"See? There it is again," Levi smiled, pulling away.

"Stop making fun of me, you say the strangest things," Eren muttered, turning away in embarrassment. Ever since their little night off, Eren had become so much more aware of Levi. He wasn't sure how much longer his sanity could handle being around this irritating yet fascinating man.

"It's merely a part of my job description," Levi commented.

"What? Making fun of me?" Eren frowned.

"I wish.  I meant saying strange things. Hanji takes customer service to a whole new level."

Eren pondered for a second. "You must be quite the perverted old man if you can say such suggestive words just off the top of your head though."

Levi's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "At least I'm not blushing like a 12-year-old virgin at the sound of them."

Now it was Eren's turn to be offended. "Who's a twelve-year-old virgin?!"

"Well, I'm not a pervert, BRAT."

"Sure, 'I'll make you my cat forever'. That doesn't sound creepy at all."

"They liked it. And more importantly, _you_ loved it."

"IT'S CALLED ACTING."

"AS IF YOU HAVE THE MENTAL CAPACITY TO DO THAT."

"Oh, I don't know, Levi. According to you, I'M SO ADORABLE, AREN'T I?!"

"What does that even have to do with _mental capacity?!_ Besides, I didn't really mean it."

Eren's eyes glinted wickedly. He could literally feel himself getting carried away as he she shuffled closer to Levi.

"Suuuure, you didn't," he drawled. "You're really a dirty, old man, aren't you? So which part do you like best? The perky, furry ears? The long, curvy tail? The cute, little paws? So which is it, Levi?"

"Stop it!" Levi was practically yelling at this point. And Eren was totally going to take advantage of it. He wrapped his fluffy arms around Levi's neck, pulling himself closer in an instant.

"Eren, what are you—"

Eren pulled his most seductive face, which suddenly wasn't too difficult to do for some reason."Do you want me, Levi? Do you want to lick my kitty cat ears and have me meow at you? Or perhaps you'd rather slowly unzip the back until you can finally—"

"AHEM."

Eren stopped his initiations and turned to see Hanji standing in front of them with Armin next to her, looking pale as if he had just seen a ghost. Taking advantage of Eren and Levi's frozen state, Hanji took out her phone. Before they knew it, a bright flash enveloped them both.

"Wow, this is totally going on my Twitter," she commented, already typing on her phone. "Hashtag animal love."

Levi pushed Eren away with such force that he almost stumbled to the ground.

"This is not what it looks like. It was part of the plan. I was just doing what you told me to do," he explained at once.

"Wow, sellout," Eren growled as Levi glared at him.

"Funny, I don't see any customers," Hanji noted, still typing.

"The bat initiated it."

"And you loved it. Now stop flirting and get ready. It's time for the Annual Yearly Murder Mystery Event. We've got a few minor changes to go over. "

Levi straightened out his outfit and followed Hanji, leaving an extremely flustered Kitty Cat Eren behind with Armin the Wizard, who found himself recovering from trauma yet again.

"Eren...I didn't know you were—"

"I WASN'T! Goddamn that short bastard, making me say all those weird things! He annoys me so much...ARGHHHHHHHH! GOD, I HATE HIM!" Eren bellowed as he walked away angrily.

Armin stared after him, baffled and slightly afraid, especially when Eren walked straight into a decorative pillar in the middle of the floor. He heard another enaraged groan, before Eren disappeared into the hustle and bustle of the crowd.

"What's up with him?" Jean the Horse suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Armin shuddered.

"Not even Dumbledore himself can stop this now," he said ominously.

 

* * *

 

"Levi, Eren. Your parts have been completely changed."

"WHAT."

"Is this your definition of 'minor changes', four-eyes?"

"I can't help it, your costumes were changed, so your roles have to change."

"I'm so excited! This is POTATO PRINCESS' DEBUT!"

"Don't forget THE ONION PRINCE!"

"Hey, hey, can't we just talk about how Bertie and I finally have _main roles_ for the first time?"

"Quiet, Reiner. No one cares."

"That's cold, Annie. So cold."

"Okay, back to the script. Levi, you're now Reiner's hunting dog. You might want to put on knee pads."

"..."

"Hahahahahhahahhaahahaha. That almost makes my role look better!"

"Sorry, Jean. But it doesn't."

"Aw, Marco. Aren't you supposed to comfort me?"

"Eren. You're a bat who's secretly a vampire trying to take over the city."

"Hostililty. That's very suitable for Eren."

"Armin, I'm a frikken sparkling _vampire_."

"Not all vampires are sparkly."

"You haven't read the new script yet, have you?"

"..."

"Enough of all this crap. Are there any changes to mine and Christa's parts?"

"Nope, Ymir. You're good to go."

"AW YEAH."

"Oi, four-eyes. How much time do I have to memorize this crap?"

"What is there to memorize, captain? Half your lines are 'woof'."

"Shut up, Jaeger. You should worry about yourself first."

"Well, I don't have a lot of lines...wait a minute, what's this at the end?"

"..."

"DAMN. THAT IS SOME JUICY SHIT."

"Language, Ymir."

"Ew. You're gross, Ymir. Juicy shit."

"You're so mature, Connie."

"WHAT?! THAT MEANS BERTIE AND I WON'T BE THE MAIN CHARACTERS ANYMORE. WHAT IS THIS CRAP?!"

"What can I say, Reiner? We're forever cursed to be the supporting roles."

"GODDAMMIT."

"Aw man. I'm so excited now. Even more excited than when I found out Christa was my wife...in the script, I mean."

"I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT WITH LEVI. NO WAY. NUH UH."

"Four-eyes, you dare do this to me after you posted those misleading pictures online?"

"What are you talking about? That totally wasn't me...kind of..."

"Why can't you leave this crap exclusive to those already submitted to it?"

"It just happened naturally while I was writing. You can't put restraints on creativity."

"If you really think that I'm going to do that with the brat in front of everybody...."

"Oh no. We only have five minutes until the show begins. What a pity. Too late for changes now."

"HANJI!"

"Whoa. Whoa, I don't need both of you to yell at me at once. It's business. Business is a tough world. You've got to cope with some sacrifices."

"I don't want to sacrifice myself like this..."

"Aw, don't cry Eren..."

" _Shut up, Jean._ "

"Okay, that's enough loitering around now! Everyone to your places...we're going to make this a night to remember!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Thank you for reading the first part of the Titan Host Club's HALLOWEEN SPECIAL :DDDDDD  
> Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> So glad I managed to get this done and the final part of their little play will be posted on October 31st (actual Halloween).
> 
> Thanks for reading! I love you and see you again on Halloween! :DDDD
> 
> P.S. Could you tell apart everyone who was speaking at the end there? ;P


	16. CosPlay ~ The Halloween Medieval Murder Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A theatrical host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> This year's first CosPLAY, please enjoy!  
> All CosPlays are written by Hanji Zoe and trademark of the Titan Host Club. KTHXBAI.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wen da hell did dis become a crack-fic?  
> whatever. I think you guys will enjoy this one ;P
> 
> Happy Halloween :)

The crowd shuffled about the floor of the Titan Host Club, everyone scuffling in an attempt to get the best view of the rearranged host club, which would be the stage of the show. Hanji stood in the center, still dressed in her bloody surgeon attire, clutching a large book in her hand.

At last, Hanji cleared her throat and opened the book.

_Phase 2! Start~!_

"Tonight, I have arrived to tell you a terrifying yet tragic tale of the past, a story that shall make your blood boil with both fear and anger. More dramatic than William Shakespeare, more impacting than Victor Hugo, more thrilling than Stephen King...this is a story written by me, myself...Hanji Zoe."

She ignored the "pfft" noises coming from somewhere underneath the tables. The crowd cheered enthusiastically.

"The story starts on a murky night, much like tonight," Hanji continued. "When all was silent, not a whisper could be heard amongst the streets of the Kingdom of Titania. And it was on this very night, that tragedy broke out within the kingdom. As within the quiet, a dark, hidden secret lurked within the royal castle, sneaking about with bloodstained hands and chilling motives. Within that quiet, a silent murder of one of the most useful members of the royal kingdom occurred, drowned amidst the tears of his beloved upon discovery."

"JEAN! MY BEAUTIFUL STALLION! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DIE?!"

The attention shifted to the side, where Marco was sobbing over Jean's bloodstained corpse. There was a knife handle protruding from the chest of the horse, smeared with blood all around and all the floor.

"Prince Marco embraced his horse with all of his might, crying tears of agony loud into night. But nothing. _Nothing,_ could ever revive the broken stallion now. It laid limply in the prince's arms, never to be awoken again and permanently dying with that ugly expression. He was gone forever. His cries awoke the remaining guests habituated in the castle that night."

"What's going on?" Christa spoke, as she appeared from the shadows causing the crowd to erupt in cheers. "Are you alright, Marco?" Upon finishing her line, she let out a realistic and terrified scream when she saw the "mangled" corpse of the horse.

"Who did this?!" Reiner appeared suddenly, cuing another round of applause. "Who would be brash and bold enough to commit such a foolhardy act?"

"Oh, the horse is dead. Bummer," Pirate Ymir commented upon her arrival. "Then again, with it out of the way, there is no longer anything standing in the way of Elf Princess Christa and I winning Couple of the Kingdom this year." Everyone laughed loudly at the comment.

"Begone, you wretched pirate!" Reiner bellowed. "Who allowed you amidst this sacred place anyhow?"

"Sacred, my ass. They let everyone in here. Besides, _woodsman_ , you're not exactly royalty either."

"Quiet, you ingrate! I have special business here at the kingdom!"

"Like what? Frick-fracking with the Captain of the Guards?"

Several whoops sounded from the crowd, followed by a storm of laughter.

"Such vile language! I'll have you know that the relationship with Captain Bertholdt and I is nothing of the sort," Reiner stated boldly. "He is a dignified man with rank and respect and I am nothing but a woodsman. We are merely close acquaintances! We shall stick to our social assignments, and we would never engage in such demoralizing business!"

"Reiner..." came a exhausted whine from the side. "Why'd you leave in the middle...?"

The crowd erupted as the mentioned Captain of the Guards Bertholdt appeared. Except there was a catch: he wasn't wearing any pants and his black boxers were clearly peeking out from beneath his long shirt. 

"BERTHOLDT!" Reiner yelped, as he ran over to cover the knight up with his tunic. "What on Earth happened to your pants?"

Bertholdt looked sleepily at Reiner. "What are you talking about?" he mumbled. "You took them off—"

"ALRIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH BERTHOLDT." Reiner had to talk over the crowd.

Pirate Ymir smirked. "Well, that explains why the Guard Captain was slightly....distracted from his duties tonight."

"What happened?" Bertholdt asked.

"See for yourself."

Bertholdt glanced towards the still crying Marco and let out an uncaring "oh."

Marco stood up and looked towards the group in anger.

"HOW COULD ALL BE SO APATHETIC?!" he screamed. "My handsome stallion will no longer be able to see the light of day along my side. I will no longer be able to caress his majestic mane, nor admire the lovely structure of his crooked legs. O my poor, poor Jean, how could he suffer such a cruel, unfair fate? There will no longer be days when I ride him from sunset to the depths of night, carrying me to the wonderful new realms of heaven and—

"Sire, if you would please excuse me, but in all reality, you should really calm down...he's really just a lowly horse who does not deserve you. God knows how he even made it here in the first place," Reiner said.

Marco stood up furiously in perfectly executed dramatic rage.

"HOW COULD YOU?!" he cried. "YOU LOWLY WOODSMAN! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT THAT HORSE WAS A MORE VALUABLE ASSET TO OUR KINGDOM THAN YOU WOULD EVER BE!"

"For what? _Riding_?" Reiner responded pointedly.

"WHY YOU—!"

"What's with all the commotion?" bellowed a low yet pleasant female tone. It was if the males in the room appeared out of nowhere, as they yelled and cheered maniacally for Annie's appearance, as radiant as before in her glimmering attire. Beside her stood the Potato Princess and the Onion Prince.

"The Queen has arrived!" Bertholdt bellowed, as the remaining members all bowed politely.

"Marco, what's going on?" Queen Annie demanded.

Marco sniffled as he clutched onto Annie's robes. "It's Jean. He's...he's..."

"I see. He's dead," Annie said apathetically.

Marco looked like he was about to throw a temper tantrum. "Not you too!"

"Ehhh, I say it serves the horse right," Sasha interjected. "He keeps on eating my potatoes without permission anyways."

"I second that," Connie added.

Impressive tears brimmed from Marco's eyes at last. "You MONSTERS! Does no one care that Jean is _dead_?"

Everyone avoided Marco's eyes.

"This can only mean one thing..." Marco muttered. "One of you did this, if not all of you. I swear to find who committed this act and AVENGE HIM UNTIL THE END."

Connie sighed. "Be realistic, won't you? It's a frikken horse."

"ENOUGH. I won't tolerate this berating any longer. Have you no shame? No one is to leave this room from this moment. I shall interrogate each and every one of you."

Ymir groaned and slumped down into one of the chairs. "Alright, hurry up and confess, whoever did it, so I can get out of here. No one will hate you. It's a dead horse. Even Marco will forget after a week. Come on, fess up."

"It's not that easy, Ymir. Prince Marco has already sworn vengeance, and immediate death would follow the confession," Christa noted. Even as she was speaking about Marco's dedication to his horse, no one noticed Armin from the shadows, subtly yet sloppily dragging Jean's body away from the center of focus.

The Queen rolled her eyes. "Alright, I could use some mediocre entertainment. Has everyone in the castle gathered?"

"Yes. All the maids and servants are away tonight," the Potato Princess answered.

"How convenient," Ymir smirked, much to the crowd's amusement.

"Wait. We are missing one valuable member," Reiner announced suddenly.

"It couldn't be..." Connie gasped dramatically.

 "There's no way...." Christa whispered.

"Oh, how could we have forgotten him?!" Bertholdt cried, covering his eyes with his arm flamboyantly.

"Yes!" Reiner declared. "It is none other than Humanity's Strongest... _Captain_!"

The crowd held their breaths as the lights dim, raising their anticipation of seeing their most beloved captain. Shadows shuffled across the center of the floor, as the guests clamored about, trying to determine which silhouette belonged to Levi.

Suddenly, an explosion of light occurred, causing all the guests to shield their eyes. 

"Woof."

A split reaction occurred: half the room gasped in terror while the other squealed maniacally.

Because there he was. The honorable Captain Levi.

Sitting cross-legged flat on his butt in a doggy suit complete with giant ears and a fluffy tail that stuck out of his bottom. His expression was submissive, almost vulnerable as he shuffled around on the ground. When he leaned forward, his tail swung intriguingly, piquing attention with every move. It was indeed a sight to be seen. Cameras flashed non-stop from every corner of the room at the truly eccentric sight.

"Come here, boy!" Reiner called.

Levi merely tossed Reiner a dirty look and remained where he was.

"Stubborn, as always," Sasha smiled endearingly. "Now, now Captain, we're going to go see the wise wizard Armin so you better be on your best behaviour, okay?"

Annie stood up, brushing her dress. She opened her arms above her head and called: "O wisest of the land! We summon you to help us with our troubles this night! Please hear our summonings!"

An impressive smoke cloud billowed from the focus of the room, followed by the appearance of a small being cloaked in black with a head of short and bright blonde hair.

"Everyone!" Marco yelled. "Bow to the wisest wizard Arminius The Great!" They all fell to their knees at once, even the characters identified as royalty.

That is, everyone except Levi.

"Oi, aren't you going to make your _mutt_ kneel too?" Ymir smirked devilishly as she pointed to the ground. As expected of her sadistic side.

Levi growled, clearly annoyed. "I'm a dog, twerp. Have you ever seen a dog kneel before—" He stopped midway when he saw Hanji glaring at him from the side.

"Woof," Levi finished quickly, attempting to appear oblivious.

But it was too late, people were already starting to whisper around them.

"Talking dog? How unrealistic."

"Geez, Hanji is losing it. My god. What kind of dog _talks?_ "

"Ugh. This play is so far-fetched."

Hanji cleared her throat, the dark glint escaping from her eyes momentarily.

"Yes! Arminius the Great Wizard! So great that he could even make dogs speak for a moment!" Hanji announced rapidly. Murmurs of understand and approval washed throughout the room immediately, because it was _clearly_ such a reasonable and realistic explanation. Hanji smiled, pleased with herself, but only after she gave Levi a horrid glare which seemed to say _If you dare do that again I will turn you into a real dog._

"So, why do you summon me at this time of day?" Arminius addressed his subjects.

"There has been a horrible doing within the castle," Marco explained, quivering in tears. "Somebody has committed an awful crime of murder and we don't know who."

"Jean did it," Armin stated, without looking up.

"HE'S THE DEAD ONE."

"Oh. Awkward. It worked before."

Annie stood up. "We only know to call upon your power now, great wizard," she spoke calmly. "If you could please lend us your wisdom to aid us in our quest for vengeance." She bowed in perfect posture. The audience stared at her dazedly: her graceful bow and delicate manner of words convinced that she was truly a regal queen in that moment.

"I already know who did it," he stated bluntly.

"You do?" Annie responded. "Then, O great wizard, please do tell us."

Armin's smile was grim yet awfully beguiling. He started playing with the tie around his neck.

"Get the dog to kneel," he finished, a line that was clearly _not_ in the script.

Everyone stared at him. _Wow, could the shota boy hold a grudge or what?_ Levi looked at the boy, his pupils dilated, clearly seeing him in a new light. Even Hanji was starting to become quite unsettled: she thought that Armin would be the least likely to abuse the role of greatest power but clearly, she was wrong.

"Um...it's a trick we haven't taught him yet, Great Wizard," Sasha attempted. It was all improv now.

"I don't care," Armin uttered, turning his back as his black cloak flared out extravagantly behind him. "Until he kneels, the culprit shall not be revealed."

Reiner spoke up. "Oops, too bad, Levi can't kneel. What a shame. I guess we have to be done with this. Everyone lights out. Get some rest. The end. Happy Halloween everyone!"

"Not so fast, Reiner!" Armin declared, arm reaching out in the form of a true theatrical actor. "Such rash behaviour. Shouldn't you be afraid that the others will now suspect _you_ of being the culprit?"

"Damn, he's got the whole thing in the bag," Hanji murmured from the sidelines, completely taken away.

"Now get the dog to kneel!" he commanded, pointing directly at Levi.

Everyone gasped as their attention focused on Levi, who was still sitting flat on his butt and didn't seem to be caring much of the situation. Although he was like that on the outside, the hosts knew, that even if the skin of Levi's knee touched the ground, the skin of _Armin's body_ would likely be found mutilated in a dark alleyway somewhere after the show. They had to stop this, before things got out of hand.

"But Great Wizard, why are you so insistent on such an order?" Christa piped. "What has Captain ever done to you?"

"Quiet, Elf!" Armin yelled, to which Ymir covered Christa's ears preciously. "That dog has disgraced my best friend several times now. And this is the only way I can take revenge." Though his voice exuded confidence, his eyes that were starting to water portrayed otherwise.

Hanji's ears perked. _Oh? So this is what it's all about. That's too bad. I've let you had your fun long enough...but don't think you can change my genius script so easily like that._ She slowly kicked a large, dark box beside her, which had been concealed in the shadows this entire time.

"Hanji?" came a muffled voice. "What's going on out there? Is it time yet?"

Hanji smiled, her glasses completely white as she tiled downwards. "Why yes, Eren," she said. "It's your cue."

And in an instant, all the candles in the room blew out, leaving the room in pitch darkness, inducing several screams but more importantly, the temporary termination of the play. 

Magically, the candles relit themselves one by one, starting from the edges of the room and making its way to the center. A smoky haze drifted through, creating the illusion that Hanji had quite outdone herself for this year's Halloween party (when it was really just the products of some sketchy chemicals she found, stashed in the back cupboard: "It’s totally safe!" she said).

Everyone gasped in awe as a tiny beam of light glowed by the side of the room near where the hosts were located. The light grew bigger and bigger until it burst, practically blinding every single person in the room.

"YES! IT WAS I WHO KILLED HIM!" a voice yelled from above them.

Too astonished to notice the discontinuity of senseless dialogue (much to Hanji's relief), the guests looked up towards the ceiling to see an incredible sight.

Because there was Eren Jaeger, hanging from the ceiling with a menacing look on his face, a look that vamped the decibels in the room to a whole new level. He bared his teeth with a grin, revealing the fangs hidden beneath his lips, and the crowd went wild. They were so dazed to the point that almost everything else was disregarded, including the fact that he was actually wearing tacky black animal suit with even tackier looking wings. And also the fact his body was also shaking weirdly for some reason.

"Back on track," Hanji smiled, dusting her hands off.

Meanwhile, Eren was still hung up in the ceiling, doing everything he could to hide his discomfort. In reality, he was not flying or floating at all, but instead he had been strapped to an old harness that probably didn't meet safety regulations (once again, from the backroom stash). And to make matters even worse, the one controlling it was none other than the horse himself.

"Oi, Jean," Eren said through the corner his mouth to the person directly below him. "Can you stop shaking?"

"It's not my fault you're so heavy!" Jean whispered back, his arm trembling profusely at this point. "Now hurry up and say your lines before I lose all the circulation in my arm!"

Eren suddenly remembered his job and turned back towards the crowd. He cleared his throat and put on his best actor façade. His eyes began to glint in a devilish manner. He put a finger to his lip. His tongue slipping past his fanged teeth, he swiped it slowly over the finger exactly as Hanji had told him to.

"Now, who shall be my next victim?" he slurred suggestively, tilting his furry feline ears to the side.

It had practically become a zoo down on the floor as people were starting to shove and pull at each other to get closer to Eren to take the best picture of him. It only got more chaotic when Eren suddenly dropped from the ceiling and landed on the ground nimbly, brandishing his wings as he did so. The guests were doing everything they could to keep from clawing and grabbing at him, while the rest of the hosts looked on in disbelief.

"Wow, who would've thought a guy in a cat suit could be so desired?" Jean grumbled to himself.

Eren started moving through the crowd, practically glowing as a rain of light and glimmers showered upon him (when it was really just Jean crawling behind him and throwing silver confetti). In some other context, a guy in a cat suit strutting with sparkling confetti thrown behind him probably would've looked completely ridiculous, but the customers of the Host Club were completely high with excitement at this point and couldn't care less what happened next so long as Eren was there.

"Who are you?! State your business!" Marco declared his lines from the original script angrily.

Eren lifted the corners of his mouth, his fangs slightly peeking through.

"I am the resident Vampire of this kingdom, Eren Jaeger! And I have arrived to reclaim what is mine," Eren declared.

"WHY?! WHY DID YOU KILL JEAN?!" Marco blurted suddenly. He rushed towards Eren and clutched the front of his fur fiercely. "WHAT HAS HE EVER DONE TO YOU?!"

"Away, mortal!" Eren cried, pretending to bat Marco away. But the cry Marco let out as he collapsed to the floor made it all the more believable.

"I killed him merely because I was hungry," Eren stated in a serious tone. The crowd gasped as if this was the most compelling answer in the world.

"But, there is another reason," Eren continued. "His existence had to be abolished due to his constant meddling in my affairs."

“That horse may look useless,” Connie grumbled. “But he can act quite spontaneously at times.”

Eren turned his gaze away, his hair shielding his eyes bewitchingly.

“Though I am ashamed to admit it,” he spoke slowly. “I have a lover.”

The silence of anticipation with a hint of impatience drifted across the room.

“And…that person is amongst you right now.”

This time, it was shrieks, of every pitch and frequency one could imagine. People started screaming out names of who Vampire Eren’s love interest could possibly be, and some banter even managed to escalate into heated arguments until Ymir stepped up to speak her lines once again.

“Excuse me for being anticlimactic and all but what does any of this have to do with Jean’s death?” Ymir scowled.

Eren bared his fangs at her. “Do you have any idea how frustrating to live in inferior circumstances your entire life, only to fall for somehow who has grown up in completely different conditions? Do you even know the fear of being caught? The difficulty of finding a safe meeting spot? The withheld passion over countless nights of being unable to see each other?”

“Uh, yes, I do actually,” Ymir snapped. She grabbed by the shoulder Christa and pulled her close. “I’m a pirate, and I’m dating a frikken Elf Princess. What do you think?” Several cat calls were elicited at the comment.

“Well, you don’t have to hide out in the stables, do you?” Eren argued. “Only to have that irritating horse interrupt you everything you want to—”

“Don’t even start! Have you ever been in a ‘ship basement’ before? Things get real nauseous down there,” Ymir said.

“Well then, humans,” Eren sneered. “You probably couldn’t even imagine what immortal love is like, do you?”

“Wait a minute,” Sasha spoke up. “He addressed us as mortals…which means his lover is…immortal as well?”

All eyes turned to Armin. A few people cheered and clapped excitedly while others sighed in disappointment.

But the reaction was cut abruptly when Armin raised both of his hands in denial.

“Hey, don’t look at me. I haven’t seen that vampire in my life,” Arminius the Great declared. “Speaking of which, this is getting weird so I’m going to get out of here before he starts making out with someone—” Squeals. “—and ruins the innocence I’ve retained for thousands of years. Good night.” He walked off without making much of a scene, no smoke cloud, no anything, much to everyone’s surprise (only because Hanji had a limited amount of sketchy chemicals).

“Enough banter, Vampire!” Reiner roared. “I don’t care what you want from us, but since you committed murder, your punishment must be _death_.”

Something sparked in Eren’s eyes. “How hypocritical, if not egotistical to begin with,” he snarled. “There is absolutely nothing I want from you guys, the only thing I want is… _him_.”

Everyone followed his gaze, only to have their mouths hang open in horror.

“ _MARCO?!”_ Everyone screeched at the same time, both guests and hosts alike. The former red flush from the crying had been drained completely from Marco’s face, leaving him a pale, quivering body.

Much to everyone’s temporary relief, Eren scrunched his nose in disgust, just like a cat would.

“God no! I’m not touching anything that’s been associating with that horse!” Eren retched. “I was referring to _him_.” This time, Eren pointed to make sure the others would not be mistaken.

This time, the reaction was simultaneous, widened eyes. _Of course, how did we not realize…_

Eren grinned, locking eyes with his so-called lover.

“Come here, Captain,” he smiled.

Levi had successfully kept a low profile until this moment. He was still on the ground, but with Eren’s acknowledgment he suddenly seemed to outshine everyone else on stage. Eren practically bound over to him. With only a slight hesitance that could only be noticed with extremely careful attention, Eren suddenly scooped Levi completely into his arms, puppy ears and all.

The reaction was explosive. Naturally, there were a couple bursts of outrage, but for the most part the surprise turned into hysteria when people realized how adorable Captain Levi looked, with his short posture curled neatly in Eren’s arms, his own furry ones wrapped protectively around Eren’s neck. The fur on his brown ears were rubbing against Eren’s neck, as he started to nuzzle into it, looking so comfortable as if he were a real puppy in its owner’s arm. It was definitely a bizarre image, but it somehow caused everyone’s chests to tighten and their stomachs’ lurch in a delightful manner.

Despite Eren’s reality of struggling underneath Levi’s weight, the hosts took their time in delivering the next lines.

“A _dog?_ Your lover is Captain the dog?” Sasha dropped her potatoes.

“Is that the name you foolish mortals call him?” Eren smirked, trying keep his lips from quivering like his arms. “I call him by a different name…”

As slowly as he could, Eren dropped his “dog” to the ground, where he sat obediently once again.

“Isn’t that right… _Levi?_ ”

The lights turned off again, and when it reappeared, the remnants of Hanji’s chemicals were reserved for this moment, and were used to create a giant cloud of crimson red, shrouding the entirety of the room in the colour of blood. When the colour had faded away, people eagerly awaited Levi’s epic transformation.

“It can’t be…” Annie whispered.

“How terrible!” Christa cried, as Ymir wrapped her arms tighter around her.

“This…this is treason,” Reiner gasped.

And there was Captain Levi, standing with a defiant expression on his face with one of his arms wrapped around Eren’s waist. There was absolutely no difference in his appearance at all, other than the fact that he was now on two legs. But nonetheless…

“HE’S A WEREWOLF!!!” Sasha and Connie screeched in terror.

“The horror!” Bertholdt cried. “Who would’ve thought our fateful dog Captain would be a…a…”

“I’m sorry it had to be revealed this way,” Levi said. “Ever since Connie rescued me that day from the woods I wished to remain in that form forever, to be loyal to all of you. But it was not meant to be, and I was coaxed back into my human form when…” Levi suddenly grabbed Eren’s chin, cradling it gently while looking deep into his eyes. “…this little demon came into my life.”

They stood like that for a bit, as if they were actually transfixed with one another. The audience and the cast members were completely hypnotized by Levi’s powerful gaze. Though Hanji thought she heard Levi whisper “Oi, brat. It’s your line!” before Eren continued.

“Oh Captain Levi,” Eren said, his voice barely shaking. “If only you weren’t running out in the fields that time.” In a bold move that elicited several high pitched screams, Eren snaked his arm around Levi’s slender waist and pulled him even tighter against his own body.

“Oh Eren.” Screams.

“Oh Levi.” Even more screams.

“Oh, hello?!” Ymir interrupted suddenly, waving her hand. “Earth to lovebirds. We still have a dead person to avenge here. Just because you’re in love and shit with our dog _still doesn’t make it acceptable to murder our horse._ ”

“I know I have sinned greatly in that act,” Eren quivered in Levi’s arms, suddenly playing the part of a broken lamb. “But please, forgive us and our wretched love. Please spare me.” Eren buried his face into Levi’s chest as Levi wrapped his arms completely around him.

“You guys wouldn’t do such a horrible thing to me now, would you?” Levi asked. “After I’ve been so loyal, would you really separate me from the one I love most, just like this?”

“I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!” Marco burst. “THE ONE WHO KILLED MY JEAN IS STANDING THERE BLABBERING OFF ABOUT NONSENSE AND YOU GUYS ARE LETTING HIM?! HOW DARE YOU! OFF WITH HIS HEAD! JUST GIVE ME A SWORD AND—”

“Onion, Potato, take him away. Please,” Annie said bluntly.

“YES MA’AM!” Sasha and Connie saluted.

Sasha and Connie dragged Marco by the arms and pulled him away from the audience’s attention, disappearing along with him.

“Alright Vampire & Werewolf,” Annie spoke, crossing her arms. “I wouldn’t say this in front of him but truthfully, most of us are actually thinking ‘good riddance’ right now. Instead of issuing a punishment, I shall grant both of your freedom…”

Eren’s face lit up while Levi remained apprehensive.

Annie smiled. “…if you two are able to convince me that you are truly in love.”

The crowd was boisterous in voicing their approval.

Levi glared at Annie. “What do you want me to do?” he growled. “Make love to him right here, right now?”

The crowd only got louder and someone could be heard screaming “Oh god, yes please!” until Queen Annie raised her hand. For some reason, they were all silenced immediately, as if she truly was a real queen.

“That would be a bit too excessive for my taste,” she spoke calmly (several “awwwww”s could be heard).

“But a passionate kiss will do.”

And once again the screams of compliance erupted from the crowd, chants and hollers coming from every corner of the room.

Now was the time when Eren felt everything closing in on him. He had done his best up until this point but this, _this_ would be when it all comes crashing down.

He couldn’t dare look at Levi, not now, not when such a fearful thing was about to happen. He wasn’t even sure how he felt about the real Levi yet, not when he had been extremely annoyed with him just now.

Though his acting been convincing enough this entire time, concealed by his disgust for the cheesy lines, it was only because he was barely hanging on: whenever Levi was caressing him, he really felt as if he was going to melt.

Eren did his best to keep his expression sultry as it had been this entire time, and finally dared to glance at Levi.

He wanted to scold his childish reaction when his heart skipped a beat. In a few seconds, his own lips would be pressed against Levi’s thin ones. He would be able to touch his cheek and run his fingers through his hair just as he had always secretly desired.

So what was there to be afraid of?

But a shudder came through him as he gazed at Levi’s profile: the curved jawline, the pointed noise, the sharp eyes…he really was beautiful. Even in those stupid puppy ears. He could hear the crowd urging them all, the rest of the hosts still performing staring at them eagerly.

Eren cringed when Levi said his line, the line that brought forth all the anticipation of what was to follow.

“Hmph, child’s play.”

And then Levi was looking at him again, and he could the reflection of his own eyes in Levi’s grey ones. He saw something spark in them before he closed his own, unable to bear the intensity and preferring to await the inevitable in darkness.

He felt a hand touch his cheek again, like it had done several times already. Somehow he was still unaccustomed to it, as he felt the tingle on his skin. The crowd fell into a hushed silence. Eren could _feel_ the beady eyes stabbing into him, expecting a good reaction from him.

He could sense Levi’s breath on his lips now. He was close. _Really_ close. The grip on his cheek was getting tighter, the knot his chest was becoming tenser. _Oh god, this is torture…why is he taking so long?_

Against his will, a strange beckoning caused Eren to flash his eyes open to see Levi’s pursed lips right there in front him, his eyes with half-closed as well. His heart suddenly vamped up to incredible speeds, his mind started to get hazy and his restraint was hastily slipping away.

Suddenly, an impulse took over Eren as he found himself swinging his arms around Levi’s neck, dragging him towards himself and practically smashing their lips together.

Eren could barely even hear the crowd screaming.

_Oh god, this is actually happening. Holy shit. I’m kissing Levi. Holy shit._

Eren only got more eager when Levi’s arms slid down to his waist and tightened around it, pulling him closer. Eren tilted his head to get a better angle, forcing himself into Levi without a care. And the best part was, Levi was accepting him full on. If this wasn’t a once in a lifetime opportunity he didn’t know what was. His knees were getting weak. His nerves were on fire. His body was heating up. Oh god, he was probably going to _completely_ melt in Levi's arms at this rate. He brought his hands up and twisted his fingers in the hair above his undercut and pulled Levi even closer and—

“OKAY THAT’S ENOUGH!” he heard a barely audible voice somewhere.

Levi was the first to pull away, and it was only then that Eren realized he had forgotten to breathe. He gasped heavily upon breaking apart, his arms still dangling limply on Levi’s shoulder. His mind was so blurry, so hazy that the only thing he could comprehend was the slight flush that looked quite lovely on Levi's face.

“That enough for you, Queen Annie?” Levi asked. Even the captain was panting slightly. Eren noticed there was something slightly different about him.

“Oh god, my eyes,” Bertholdt said, his expression dazed. Eren wasn’t even sure if he was acting or not.

Annie cleared her throat, also seeming quite embarrassed. “Well, that was indeed quite…convincing,” she said. “I hereby proclaim you both true lovers and free from any punishment of any kind.” She spilled the last lines out in a hurry, clearly wanting this all to be over with.

Eren quickly got back into character as looked endearingly at Levi, a bright smile hiding how truly exhausted and flustered he was from that kiss.

“Oh, Levi! We can finally be with each other! Now and forever!” he screamed. Back to the cringe worthy lines.

Levi stroked Eren’s hair while looking at him. Eren could barely ignore shudder down his spine. “Yes, my beautiful bat, we are now free to proclaim our love!”

This was supposed to be where Annie would say her lines and close the scene, but it seemed the crowd had different ideas.

“ONE MORE KISS! ONE MORE KISS!” they were chanting.

Eren glanced at Levi, his emotion a mix between fear and anticipation. But something in Levi had truly changed. His expression towards Eren was now gentler, softer than it had ever been before. Levi’s lips suddenly curved into something like that of a gentle smile, and before Eren could help himself, he found that his fear was completely washed away as he reached up to grab Levi's neck again.

Levi’s shoulder shrugged slightly as if to say “Hmm, why not?”

Dramatically, he dipped Eren so that his entire body weight laid on his arm. Taken by surprise, Eren gasped as Levi bent down to capture his lips once again, the crowd cheering maniacally.

 

* * *

 

Back in the break room sat the hosts who had already finished their parts.

“OH GOD THAT WAS SO CHEESY I CAN’T UNCURL MY FINGERS!” Sasha cried in agony as she held her hands out to prove her point.

“OH MY GOD SASHA LET ME HELP YOU!” Connie exclaimed, commencing to slap at her hands in a ridiculous manner to try and “uncurl” the fingers.

“Thank god I died early so I didn’t have to suffer through all that,” Jean rolled his eyes.

“Me too,” Armin sympathized. “I would rather die than see Eren and Levi flirt with each other.” He shuddered to emphasize his comment.

“As if those lines weren’t horrible enough to deal with,” Marco sighed. “My ears hurt after hearing them. I would never actually say those things if Jean died.”

“Hey! I didn’t know you had a grudge against me!” Jean grumbled.

Marco laughed. “Apparently, it’s Hanji who has a grudge against you, not me…what was with that anti-Jean script?”

Jean snorted. “Rather than anti-me, it was quite pro-Eren, was it not? Damn that woman for using this tradition as her advertising campaign.”

“I wouldn’t say so actually,” Connie commented, stilling playing with Sasha’s hands. “If it weren’t for that little bit of genius improv, Armin wouldn’t have gotten any significance at all.”

Marco crossed his legs and pondered. “Hmm, so she’s clearly promoting Eren…but why?”

At this moment, Ymir poked her head into the room. Her eyes blown out, her pirate hair disheveled  and a rare, pink flush on her face.

“Oh my god, dat kiss,” she said pointedly.

Everyone stood up at once.

“Oh my god, they actually did it?” Jean gaped.

Ymir nodded gravely.

Marco stared at her. “No way. I thought for sure Levi would improv his way out of it.” Marco narrowed his eyes. “You’re lying, aren’t you?”

To his dismay, the remaining hosts suddenly strolled into the room with the exact same shade of white and pink on their faces, all looking extremely embarrassed.

Jean blinked. “What’s with you guys? It wasn’t that bad, was it?”

**_“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”_ **

Everyone jumped as Armin stood up and started screaming spontaneously. He kept screaming as he held his head and ran circles around the room, only to end up bursting out the door and disappearing down the corridor.

“Oh great, now look what we’ve done,” Reiner scoffed. “She’s ruined the shota boy’s innocence for life.”

“It’s not as if he had to see it first person thought,” Bertholdt said. “Who knows how traumatized he would be now?”

“Good job, guys~!” called a sing-song voice.

They all looked up to see Hanji standing in the doorway, her expression beaming as it had never been before. She was practically glowing in happiness as she skipped her way to the centre of the room. It was quite horrifying actually, considering the bloody outfit she was wearing.

“What a great show~!” she crooned. “But our guests aren’t satisfied yet! Time to change into your Halloween Hosting Outfits! Finish the night of cleanly!” In her left hand she shook some strapless red dresses, while in the other she held red vests complete with black blazers and pants.

“Wait,” Ymir said, standing up. “Aren’t you the least bit concerned that your Head Host was just making out with your Newbie Host in front of everyone?”

To Ymir’s dismay, Hanji’s face only shone even more. “Nope! It’s all going according to plan!”

“…what plan?”

“You’ll see! Now everybody get changed~!” She went around passing out the dresses and suits, bouncing in her every step as she went along. The girls accepted them eagerly enough while the guys merely groaned and got up to head to the changeroom.

Christa brushed her dress off when a thought suddenly went through her mind.

“Wait a minute, where are Eren and Levi anyway?” she inquired.

Hanji tilted her head down so that only the reflection in her glasses could be seen again.

“Oh, I told them to go change,” she smiled.

The guys stopped in their tracks, realization flooding through them.

“…you know, maybe I’ll change later,” Jean muttered, a bright blush suddenly appearing on his face as he scrambled to take a seat again.

“Yeah, me too, me too,” Marco said hurriedly, practically stumbling to join Jean. Reiner and Bertholdt also both agreed and rushed back to their seats, their faces were also beet red.

The only one left was Connie.

He grinned. “Oh well, suit yourself! I might as well get it over with now so that—”

“Connie, you poor, innocent baby…just stop,” Ymir said through gritted teeth. Connie looked at her strangely, and finally noticed everyone else looking at him in horror and subtly beckoning him to stay.

“Okay, weirdos,” he said as he plopped down next to Sasha again.

It became the most awkward, silent wait of their lives.

* * *

 

Levi pulled off the ears roughly as soon as they got into the darkness of the changeroom. Eren followed suit.

“I never want to see those things again in my life,” he mumbled, throwing them aside.

Eren said nothing, simply following Levi. He felt as if he should say something but he didn’t really know what. There was still a tinge of colour on his face, and he was sure Levi was just choosing to ignore it.

“Um…Levi…” Eren uttered suddenly.

Levi turned around. “What? Do you want to talk about it?” he smirked.

Eren’s blush colour became the maximum red again. “What?! No! I mean…well…yes...kind of…I just…I don’t know.” He disgusted himself, becoming this stuttering mess again for no reason.

To his surprise, Levi showed him the gentlest smile he had ever seen.

“Oi, it’s too late to pretend you’re some innocent blushing virgin now, you know,” Levi said.

Eren stared at him. “What?”

Levi reached forward and clasped Eren’s jawline, the pads of his fingers tingling against Eren’s skin.

“I don’t know very many people who can kiss like that,” he whispered, tracing the edge of Eren's jaw.

Eren’s expression softened, as he drew himself closer to Levi.

“I should’ve figured you liked it, since you went for it a second time…and that certainly wasn’t in the script,” Eren teased.

“Hmm, don’t get cocky so quickly, brat.”

Eren felt Levi’s lips on his again, this time in a brief and chaste kiss. Yet it was overwhelming enough to know that Levi was doing of his own free will. There was no audience, no one else around, only the two of them by themselves in a dark, empty room. It was so awfully thrilling to Eren, to the point where everything felt like a surreal illusion.

“Hey brat, why don’t you help me get out of this thing now?” Levi said suddenly, his lips still against Eren’s.

“You know, I have the same issue as you now,” Eren responded, reminding Levi by rubbing his paws against Levi's back.

He could feel Levi’s lips curl into a smile.

“Well, then I guess we’ll just have to help each out now, don’t we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then they had sex.
> 
> Jk jk we're not there yet. I mean it took them like 16 fuqing chapters to get to even here so...KEEP READNG MWAHAHAHA. >:-)
> 
> Btws, sorry I posted so late. Idk why it took so long. Sorry! I guess you'll have a nice bedtime story...or morning story depending on where you live XD
> 
> Originally I had planned this out into a proper murder mystery with suspects and stuff but I then I was like NAH THEY JUST WANT TO GET SOME ACTION so I was like fuq it and turned this into 6-7000 words of crack. And it was fun. So thank you for that. Also, I realized Levi's the one who's normally the vampire and Eren is the werewolf but screw da mainstream: I wanted to imagine Eren in a neko suit so dere >:) And yes, the guests at the host club are all psychopathic fanboys/fangirls. Realism. Because face it, you'd all be the same. I know I would O.O XD
> 
> Well, I hope you get lots of good candy this year and don't forget to brush your teeth or else you'll get cavities, kids!
> 
> HAPPPEH HALLOWEEEEEN~!


	17. winter mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A toasty host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> Winter has arrived! The snow has fallen and things are getting chilly~! But at the same time, things have also become a lot warmer at The Titan Host Club
> 
>   
> ...and it's not just the Titan-sized hot chocolate we're talking about! Come on in and find out~!

A few weeks had passed since their Halloween extravagance and the Host Club were preparing for winter. If anything, most of the hosts were simply eager for the arrival of Christmas (which is of course, their mutually favourite holiday). The season of giving was just around the corner...though in a way, it was still quite far away. They had to first adapt to the prickling nature and chilly winds of the arrival of the cold winter, but if it was anything the Host Club was good at, it was accommodation.

On the first day of snowfall, all the members of the Host Club were already hard at work early in the morning before opening, preparing their menus and decorating the parlour. Hanji had called every in to help, so they could get the place ready as soon as possible.

And so, it was on that very day that Hanji Zoe could be seen standing behind her familiar coffee counter decked out in tacky red sweater trimmed with white. In front of her were a few dozens of coffee mugs and a similar amount of dirty coffee spoons and open coffee packets. Each was a different shade of smooth brown, ranging from light to dark. Some topped with whipped cream, with various chocolate or coloured sprinkles on certain ones. Others were drizzled with a nice touch of caramel or chocolate sauce, and some were as plain as plain could be. There were even some attempts at milky patterns within some lattes, but it seemed that she still had a little work to do. Regardless, the smell was phenomenal, with the sweetness of the hot chocolates combined with the rich bitterness of the espresso beans. 

Jean walked by the counter with an inquisitive look, carrying a box of paint cans and brushes.

"I told you you should've gotten started on that earlier," he frowned, fully absorbing Hanji's frazzled appearance.

"Oh please, I work best under pressure," Hanji dismissed. She picked up a mug and held it up to Jean. This one (unlike most of the others) was a strange, murky brown colour.

"Here, tell me what you think of this one," she said, forcing it towards him.

Jean stared at the drink suspiciously, trying to judge if that brown liquid was a threat to his life or not.

"What is that?" Jean asked carefully.

"Oh, come on! It's just hot chocolate!" Hanji smiled. "I added some vanilla and cinnamon extract to it, but I'm not sure if it's something that will _sell_. Try it! Tell me what you think!"

Hesitantly, Jean put down his box on a nearby table and grabbed the mug. _Well, it certainly doesn't sound too bad._ He brought it slowly up his lips, feeling the warmth of the ceramic rim against his mouth. Carefully, he tilted the drink upwards and took a generous sip while Hanji looked on expectantly. 

Jean's eyes suddenly bulged out as he spat the liquid out in horror, spraying it all over the counter. He collapsed onto a nearby table, seemingly unable to comprehend the disgusting flavour of what he had just consumed.

Hanji was furious. "How could you?! It's not even that bad! I literally just drank it..." She paused to take a sip of it herself, to prove her point.

And she spat it out in the exact same manner.

"OH MY GOD. THAT IS TERRIBLE. WHAT THE HELL DID I—" Hanji stopped suddenly, studying the mug in her hands more carefully. Her eyes flickered in recognition.

"Um...Jean...?"

"What?" Jean groaned angrily, his face still planted on the table top.

"You didn't swallow any of that, did you?"

"...why?"

"That was my waste beaker mug."

"WHAT?!"

 

* * *

 

"We have the best job ever~!" Sasha crooned from atop a high ladder as she twirled a golden ornament on her finger.

"The best jobs for the best workers!" Connie followed suit as he ascended a ladder of his own with a box of miniature figurines tucked under one of his arms.

"Preach it, bro!"

The two swung about joyfully on their ladders, fully decked out in red and green and santa hats as if they were truly Santa's elves. Sasha was even wearing fake ears for the occasion, and they were working with such efficiency and swinging on the bulbs with such accuracy and precision that anyone would've believed they were true elves just upon looking at them. Even the tree itself, which was to be the new centerpiece of the Host Club parlour, looked breathtakingly beautiful, as if someone had taken the most precise measurements and calculations to decide which ornaments had to be put where. In reality, it was merely Sasha and Connie placing orbs whereever they felt fit, and somehow, it was working better than anything anyone else could've come up with.

"Oi~! Isn't it a little bit early to be decked out like that already?" came the voice of Ymir, who arrived by the base of the tree. She was acknowledging their overly eager attires.

"Oh, come on! It's never too early for Christmas!" Connie smiled, as he swung on a rope of lights.

"Yeah, Ymir! We may as well enjoy the Christmas season as soon and as early as possible!" Sasha joined in.

"No thanks. I'm not a department store," Ymir replied, smirking as she walked away. _Such children._ However, any cynical thought in her mind was quickly washed away when she spotted Christa standing in the corner and conversing with Armin.

"Oh, that shota boy's gonna' get it..." she sneered. She was there in an instant, dragging Armin off the floor by the collar of his shirt.

"OW! Ymir! What gives?!" Armin cried out.

"What do you think you're doing flirting it up with my girl, huh?" Ymir growled. "You must have an early death wish, don't you?"

"Quit being so protective of her, it's creepy!" Armin yelled.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

"Ymir, stop!" Christa intervened. "I approached him first!"

The anger dissolved from Ymir's face immediately. "Oh, in that case..." She immediately dropped Armin, who glared at her angrily.

"I was just asking him where Eren was," Christa said.

"Oh yeah, where's the dweeb disappeared off to on such a busy day anyways?" Ymir noticed, scanning the room.

Armin shrugged. "He told me he had some special assignment from Hanji or something so he wasn't going to be at the club today."

"That sounds sketchy as fuck."

"In his defense, it'd be stranger if something Hanji ordered _wasn't_ sketchy as F."

"Aw, you're so cute, you don't swear. ' _Sketchy as F.'_ So cute," Ymir smirked. "Regardless of whether or not that's true, it all sounds like a ploy to skip work to me."

"You can ask Hanji yourself if you don't believe us," Armin replied calmly.

Ymir seemed taken aback by Armin's demeanor. "Hey, shota boy. Since when have you been so cool anyways? Just because you got a rank jumping after that little escapade of yours on Halloween doesn't make you any better than me, you know."

"Give it a rest, Ymir. He earned it fair and square," Christa said.

"I apologize if my behaviour bothers you Ymir," Armin said. "But at the same time, you better step up your game...because even Jean's ahead of you right now." With a quick nod towards the freshly polished ranking boards (done by Marco first thing in the morning), Armin smiled briefly and strolled away without a strife. On that other hand, Ymir was snarling and struggling like a rabid beast as she was held back by the waist by Christa's arms.

"WHY YOU LITTLE BLONDE SHOTA YOU BETTER START LOOKING FOR SOME NEW FUNGUS SOON CAUSE I'M GONNA FUCKING RIP THAT STUPID YELLOW MUSHROOM OFF YOUR GIANT HEAD!"

"Ymir, language!"

* * *

 

"So even old Hanji's starting to play favourites now, huh?" Reiner mumbled, as he slapped some green paint on the sill of the Host Club window.

Bertholdt sighed beside him as he opened another fresh can of paint. His breath came out a visible cloud of frost, floating up into the air. They were both bundled tightly in thick coats, complete with the full set of gloves and scarves, allowing them to cope in the lowering temperatures. Meanwhile, Annie was perched high up on the ladder above them, arranging some wreathes and lights onto the words "The Titan Host Club".

The familiar jingling bells could be heard followed by Jean's voice calling "Here's some more paint!" He shuffled over not before tripping on the sign outside the door.

"Ow! That stupid sign! Every time!" Jean groaned, as he glanced over the bubbly printed writing. " _'things are getting chilly...'_ God, how many cheesy lines can one woman come up with?"

"Oi, Kirstein, get out here and give us a hand. Annie's freezing to death up there. That old hag can't honestly expect one person to put up all those lights by themselves," Reiner said, crouching down next to the paint cans.

Jean frowned. "You think she's cutting me any slack? Marco and I are cleaning our butts off in there—"

"Phrasing, please," Berholdt mentioned apathetically.

"Sorry. Marco and I are cleaning like crazy in there, and we still have decorations to put up. I don't know how she expects us to get this done by tomorrow."

"Tell me about it," Reiner huffed. "I walked past the kitchen about half an hour ago and they're already defibrillating on Auruo."

Jean shook his head. "That early? Usually it takes him a little longer. What's up with this year anyways? It all seems so hectic."

"Isn't it obvious?" The three boys jumped as they hadn't noticed Annie's sudden presence.

She rubbed her palms together to warm herself. "The captain's not here today."

Similar flickers sparked in each of the three pair of eyes as they realized the truth behind Annie's comment.

"Oh yeah, you're right..." Jean muttered.

"And that's not all," Annie continued, as she breathed into her palms. "Be more observative...only one of the new kids is here. We're down two men today."

"That old hag really _is_ playing favourites," Reiner gaped in awe.

"You really think so?" Annie inquired.

"What else could it be?" Bertholdt said. "The Head Host and the newbie who jumped almost five ranks in a matter of two weeks are off on one of the busiest preparation days of the year. Do you believe in coincidences?"

"I don't think it's a favourites thing, Hanji's not that civil to Levi..." Annie contemplated. "I heard Armin mentioning something about a 'special assignment' earlier. Perhaps they're both doing it."

"What special assignment would require _bo_ _th_ of them to skip work?" Jean grumbled. "It makes no sense."

"All I know is that Hanji apparently said it's _vital_ to the Host Club's development in the near future," Annie said.

Reiner snapped his fingers knowingly. "I got it!"

"What?" Annie blinked.

"She got them a hotel room."

The statement gave him a full-gloved smack in the face. Courtesy of Annie, as everyone jumped at the sudden violence.

"OW! What was that for?!" he exclaimed.

"You know better than to suggest such irritating things around me," Annie scoffed.

"See, normally I say these things to annoy you but this time it could actually be true," Reiner defended himself. "I know don't why, but Hanji's really pushing those two nowadays for some reason. It's strange, as if she has some deeply woven ulterior motive."

Annie huffed angrily. "That's it. I'm taking a break. I'll ask Hanji myself while you three hooligans come up with your perverted theories out here." The bells jingled again as Annie disappeared into the shop.

"Humph. Fiesty," Jean said.

"Just how Bertie likes em," Reiner guffawed.

"HEY!" Bertholdt yelled. 

"Give it a break, lads. Without Levi here, we're going to have our work cut out for us. So let's just get as much over with as soon as we can," Reiner sighed as he bent down to grab a paint can.

Berholdt followed suit, but not before saying: "You know, it really does make me curious what they're doing though."

"Go ask Hanji yourself if you're so curious," Reiner shrugged.

"He's scared," Jean teased.

"Yeah. Cause what would you do if it was actually a hotel room, right?" Reiner laughed, and the other two joined in heartily.

"God, you really crack me up sometime, Rein," Jean smiled.

"Yeah, what a joke," Bertholdt chuckled. "Hanji would never do such a thing. We're a bit harsh on her sometimes, aren't we?"

"But she deserves it," Jean grinned.

And just like three idiots, they burst out laughing all over again.

 

* * *

 

"Welcome to the Sina Hotel, may we be of service?"

Eren shuffled nervously in his shoes, really not sure what to say to the uniformed lady. He had been sitting on the couch of the hotel parlour, minding his own business when this lady suddenly came over.

"Um...I'm...er...just waiting for someone," Eren responded awkwardly. As if he wasn't out of place enough in his jeans and bulky coat at such a posh hotel.

The lady beamed at him as if he just gave her the greatest compliment. "That's fine with us! Be sure to let me know if I can get you anything!"

Eren watched as she pranced away in her high heels and a black pencil skirt. If he didn't work at a host club, he would really be in awe at how bright she could be in such uncomfortable looking attire.

He checked his watch before rocking back and forth impatiently in his seat with his hands clenched on his knees, lookingaround anxiously.

In his fidgety state, he reached into his inner chest pocket and pulled out the letter than Hanji had scrawled for him the night before. She had ordered him not to open it until this morning. Though he was extremely suspicious, he had foolishly decided to trust her...again.

Slightly overwhelmed, he ran his eyes over the writing for what seemed to be the hundredth time.

_Oiiii Eren~~!_

_Busy day yesterday, huh?_

_Well, I'm going to give you a treat tomorrow: you get the "Special Assignment"!_

_Tomorrow, don't come to work and go to the parlour of the Sina Hotel at 9 a.m. sharp. There awaits a special mission just for you!  
_

_Remember, the future of our Host Club depends on whether or not you complete or fail this mission._

_GOOD LUCK!  
_

- _da best baws ladeh eva_

Regardless of having read the letter countless times already, the signature never failed to elicit an awfully  cringing sensation in his stomach, and it was no different this time. He folded the letter away and glanced at his watch again. _8:59_. Still, not a sight to be seen.

Was this Hanji's idea of a practical prank? Making someone wait in a fancy hotel for no apparent reason? Eren had contemplated this possibility, and only decided to go after deciding it would be an unbelievably lame prank. But now that he was actually here, he was starting to think otherwise.

The ornate clock of the hotel caught his eye as he stood up. _9:00 a.m._

Eren groaned internally. It had taken him an hour to get here by bus, and to get from here to the host club would take another hour and a half. Not to mention it was starting to become awfully cold outside.

He started to pace back and forth in an uneasy manner. He didn't care how many people were staring at him and his giant coat at this point. He thought he was just starting to get along with Hanji, what with his sudden surge in requests and all. Turns out he was wrong?

"Excuse me, have you seen a green-eyed brat around here somewhere?"

The familiar voice caused him to whirl around in a flurry.

The sight brought him such unbelievable relief that he wanted to jump the person right then and there.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not a filler but I figured I would give you guys something before I write exams in the next two weeks ^^ WARNING: Upcoming fluff and possible other stuff ;P
> 
> Winter is coming around, and for some reason, I'm a lot more excited about it this year. Especially for Christmas. 
> 
> Well, I don't have a lot to say. I'll try to do another update this weekend but we'll see, depending on how much I study XD
> 
> In another time and place in a more ideal world, there WILL be parents proud of their daughters for staying up and writing fanfiction and drawing fanart in their spare time. I promise. 
> 
> THANK KYA :P


	18. room 6969

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A steamy host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> Hmmm...you noticed the _steamy_? Are you thinking what I'm thinking? ;P 
> 
> The Host Club has showers. Dere's hot water. That's it. Boom. 

"LEVI!" Eren exclaimed, a bit too excitedly. And there he was, looking sleek and cool as he always did in a nice black leather jacket, covering a white turtleneck and complete with a nice pair of dark skinny jeans and clean shoes. He actually fit into the environment, and it was almost embarrassing for Eren to stand next to him, but he was too relieved to care.

"What are you doing here, brat?" Levi asked. Eren smiled in response.

Ever since that day, Eren was certain the word "brat" had most certainly become Levi's term of endearment for him, especially when it was seemingly always followed by the slightest lifting of the corners of Levi's thin lips.

The past few weeks had been more than blissful for Eren: though in truth they hadn't done much since then, nor had they even officially confessed. Eren was more than satisfied with just having that warm feeling inside his chest every time he was around Levi, and, judging by the stolen glances and occasional suggestive remarks from his source of attention, he was more than certain the feeling was mutual.

"Hanji sent me here," Eren explained. "She said there was some sort of 'special assignment'?"

Levi looked around, and there was a mischievous spark in his cold eyes that Eren had never seen before.

"A special assignment with you...in a hotel room...that sounds more than delightful," Levi contemplated, as he met eyes with Eren.

Eren felt a shiver in his body. He felt the flush quickly drowning his face red. There it was. Levi's suggestive prod of the day.

"Um...excuse me, can I get you two a room?" a feminine voice called from the side.

The two turned and saw a female attendant looking at them. When she noticed their flustered looks, her own embarrassment arrived after the realization of the suggestion behind her previous comment.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean—" She stopped mid-sentence, as if she suddenly noticed something about them.

"It's fine," Levi said courteously. "I think we've disrupted this place enough. We were led here falsely by our friend. Now if you'll excuse us we'll—"

"Actually, I insist you get a room."

Levi and Eren stared at her.

"What?" Eren blurted.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of keys. "Room 6969, for you."

"What kind of room number is _THAT?_ " Eren gaped. Levi glared at him as a signal to shut up.

"I honestly think you have the wrong people," Levi tried countering.

The attendant shook her head defiantly. She pulled out a photo from her pocket. It was that picture of Levi and Eren on top of each other again. _Again_. Levi and Eren stared at it exasperatedly. _Goddamn it, Hanji._

"The lady told me to make sure I give the keys to these two people at 9:00 a.m. sharp," she explained hurriedly. "She paid us double and insisted that we get you into the room at all costs...so we insist."

Eren stared at the lady, then at Levi, in complete disbelief. _Oh god...I'm actually going to end up in a hotel room with Levi._

"Holy shit..." Eren whispered, not realizing it was out loud.

Levi grabbed the key card from the attendant, with more vigour than Eren would've expected. "I guess, if you insist...we have no choice." Not wasting a moment, he grabbed Eren's wrist and started dragging him towards the elevators.

The woman smiled brightly and bowed gratefully behind him. "Please enjoy your stay at the Sina Hotel!"

"Levi, slow down!" Eren cried as he stumbled after Levi's nimble steps. But it seemed that Levi's mind was elsewhere, as he showed absolutely no sign of having heard Eren. Moreover, he was already busy spamming the golden elevator door button with one hand whilst still maintaining a tight grip on Eren's wrist.

"What are you in such a hurry for?" Eren tried again.

Eren sighed lightly as the elevator bells chimed. The golden doors slid open smoothly, and as soon as all of the passengers had stepped off, Levi dragged Eren inside so quickly and forcefully that he let out a yelp. Before he could say anything, Levi was once again letting his index finger loose on the closing button, pressing it repeatedly with all his might.

"Levi, what are you doing? Other people need to get in!" Eren called out. But once again, it was futile, as the doors slid shut upon Levi's insistence. The elevator started moving instantaneously.

Eren stared at Levi, trying to interpret the behaviour that seemed awfully out of character. "Levi, what on Earth are you—"

Eren gasped as all the breath was knocked out of his throat as he was slammed forcefully onto the elevator wall behind him. Before he could regain his breath, he felt Levi's lips close upon his open mouth, slipping his tongue inside and kissing with all his might.

Eren's knees felt like they were going to collapse to the gratifying shivers that ran all over his body. Despite the suddenness of it all, Eren quickly found himself melting into Levi, pulling Levi's arms and wrapping them around his own waist. He grabbed Levi's face with his own hands and pulled it closer, suddenly not caring at all about his shortness of breath. They hadn't kissed since that night on Halloween, and even so, they had never kissed like this before. Eren could feel every single one of his nerve ends exploding in sensation with their tongues playing and rubbing repetitively against one another. Levi's lips were mouthing against his own in a slow, sensual manner. Eren pulled on Levi's hair and forced himself closer while Levi's hands slid up and down his waist repeatedly.

It wasn't long before Eren felt he could no longer ignore his other fundamental need. He tore away from Levi, clutching onto his shoulders still as he gasped for breath. Levi too was breathing heavily, tinged with a shade of pink that Eren rarely saw.

"Wow...that was... _wow_ ," Eren gaped stupidly.

"Get used to it, brat," Levi huffed. "That's what you get for holding back for two weeks." And it was true. They really hadn't kissed or done anything remotely intimate ever since Hallowe'en. The amount of relief was explosive.

Eren fingers clutched onto Levi's shoulder. He slowly closed his eyes and leaned forward, nuzzling his cheek into Levi's chest.

"Oi, brat, stop pretending to act cute," Levi said, though he made no move to push Eren away.

"But...you're so warm," Eren drawled.

"It's the beginning of winter."

"So? Who said winters can't be warm?" He wiggled himself in closer, and to Eren's satisfaction, Levi obliged, once again wrapping his arms around him.

" _Tch_...so cheesy..." Levi murmured, running his fingers through Eren's hair.

The elevator sounded, indicating that their blissful moment was temporarily over. Wordlessly, Levi held onto Eren's hand as they walked out together.

 

* * *

 

"Wow..." Eren gaped, his eyes wide. "This place is...wow."

"Is that all you can say today?" Levi smirked. "Hmm...though it does look like the witch outdid herself."

The door slowly closed behind them as Eren and Levi stood in the middle of a lavish hotel suite, stretching for as far as their eyes could see. The lights were glowing dimly orange, basking them in an intimate aura. The sitting area was decorated with neat and simple furniture is white and light colours, with flowers decorating every inch of the way. Expensive paintings plastered the walls, and an extravagant chandelier acted as the centrepiece for the sitting area. There was even calming music playing in the background.

The two took their jackets off and hung them by the door before they started exploring the suite room. Eren walked in a daze. Never before had he even dare to imagine such exquisite splendor. To think that he would actually be able to stay in a place like this...with...

Distracting himself, he randomly opened one of the doors. He peeked inside to see a glistening porcelain bathroom, something that looked as if it belonged in some plutocrat's mansion. Everything was white and sparkling, the same dim lights accentuated the features, but most attractive of all was what appeared to be a hot tub with rose petals floating around on its surface. Pure white robes and towels hung off the silver handles, and they looked awfully fluffy.

"Oi Eren..."

But Levi's voice was suddenly distant, as Eren's hazy eyes indicated he had become lost within the delusions of his own mind.

Eren stared at bathtub, imagining Levi's elegant, lithe silhouette standing by it, his back turned to him. He was wearing nothing but the white robe, his hands poised curtly by his sides. Eren felt his heart skip a beat as Levi tilted his head, showing off his perfectly defined profile along with that tantalizing half-smirk that got Eren every time. Slowly, he ran his fingers through his slightly wet hair, the droplets of water dripping alluringly, almost sinfully.

Eren was seriously going to die of a heart attack.

Suddenly, the slender hands reached down to the waistline, as Levi danced his fingers over the ties holding his robe together, teasingly, seductively. Eren's breath was failing him.

Levi tilted his head a little more. He was practically glowing. Eren gasped as the white strap slid slowly off his tight waist and dropped onto the floor. The leer in Levi's eyes was intense, as if was peeling Eren apart just by looking at him.

_"Na Eren...wanna join me?"_

Eren felt the blood flush through every vein in his body and he nearly made a strange noise when the robe suddenly dropped cleanly from Levi's body, pooling carelessly around his feet and revealing every inch of smooth and porcelain skin. Eren's eyes glowed eagerly, his mouth hanging wide open, when the beautiful, dreamy Levi smiled one last time at Eren before finally turning around and—

"OI. BRAT."

Eren jumped, the rough voice crudely interrupting his detailed fantasies. How long had Levi been calling him? He looked over to see his captain standing by the doorway of another room, sporting the deathliest glare. Eren gulped. Levi couldn't hear his thoughts...could he? He cursed himself. Since when had he been so perverted? Granted, a certain someone had made slowly coaxed him into this dark path of confusion, but really, not being able to control his "creative" imagination was no excuse.

"Umm...there's a nice bathtub over here," Eren said sheepishly.

"It can wait," came Levi's voice from somewhere across the room. "Come look at this first."

Curious, Eren skipped his way over to the room where Levi was standing.

He stopped in his pace as he realized just exactly where he was. He glanced over to Levi, who was looking at him weirdly.

"Levi, what—"

Before Eren could even finish his thoughts, a mighty blow suddenly overwhelmed him.

"Levi heichou!" Eren yelped, the title coming out subconsciously. "What are you doing?!"

It wasn't long before he comprehended two very significant things. One, was that the bed was _heavenly_ soft, and it felt like his back was practically melting into the surface of the comforters. And the second thing, was probably marginally more noticeable.

"Eren..." Levi murmured softly as he suddenly crawled onto the bed, slowly making his way over top Eren.

"Levi?!" Eren yelled again, more in astonishment rather than discomfort. "Levi—ah!" His calls were cut off with a breathy gasp as Levi dove down and started attacking Eren's neck with endearing kisses. Taken by surprise, he braced his hands against Levi's shoulders, forcing him back so that he could look at his face.

"What are you doing?!" Eren exclaimed.

To Eren's surprise, Levi was neither offended nor irritated. Rather, he gave Eren an enticing smile.

"You know very well what I'm doing," Levi responded pointedly, still smiling.

"Well, yeah but..." Eren was red to the ears.

"Do you want me to continue?" Levi leered, bending to tease his breath on Eren's neck.

 _Oh god, he's just as perverted as I am._ Eren thought excitedly.

Without another word, Eren launched his arms around Levi's neck and pulled him down, engulfing his lips with his own. Although they were resistant at first due to the surprise, it took moments for Levi's lips to meld into Eren's, sharing an intoxicating and temptuous kiss. They had never kissed like this before, with Eren pressed against the bed and Levi's partial weight on top of him, pushing him, holding him down.

When the suggestive noises started to elicit from their lips, it wasn't long after that their hands started roaming against their own wills. Levi found his hand working its way down to the bottom of Eren's shirt, trailing beneath the hem and slowly traveling upwards. This time Eren let out more resonant sounds than all the others.

Levi broke the kiss to stare at Eren, who had to be the most tempting thing in the universe at that moment. Panting heavily, he scanned every inch of Eren's body with carnal eyes. Eren's eyes were glossy with desire, his messy hair tousled about the sheets. His arms and legs splayed out vulnerably, pinned down by Levi's own body. Most enticing of all were the colour of his cheeks, a glowing shade of delicate pink which resembled the rest of his skin that had been exposed underneath his shirt.

It was a sin in itself to stop.

"Oi, brat...are you sure?" Levi asked in a low voice.

Something sparked in Eren's eyes. Levi almost mistook it for anger, but when Eren grabbed him and kissed him ever harder this time, he knew it had to be something else.

"Oh heichou...I'm so glad you're just as reckless as I am," Eren murmured into Levi's ear.

"Oi brat...what's that supposed to mean?" Levi inquired at the sudden comparison.

Eren hoisted himself onto his elbows. He smirked and touched Levi's cheek.

"Now's not the time," Eren winked. "Now why don't you get on with it, _heichou_...you wouldn't want to disappoint your guest, would you?"

"Your dirty talk is shit, brat," Levi growled, before practically jumping onto Eren again.

Eren's brain had become mush. _Oh my god. Is this even real? Am I hallucinating again?_

Blurred thoughts scrambled through his mind as he felt Levi's lips traveling across every inch of his body. The pleasure was starting to become overwhelming, and he was certain that pretty soon he would have no thoughts at all apart from Levi.

_Oh my god. This is actually for real. Holy crap, holy crap, it's happening..with Levi, I'm gonna...I'm gonna..._

**_"De..AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAataaaa toki no natsukasiiiiIIIIII~IIIII! ManaAAAAAAAAzashiiiiii...wasurenaaaIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII~!"_ **

Eren screamed at the sudden horrible noise while Levi jumped so high he fell off the bed.

"WHAT. THE.  ACTUAL. FUCK." Eren yelled as he covered his ears as the horrible "singing" continued. Levi was muttering profanities like a recital as he dragged himself off the floor. As the brave, brave soul he was, he refused to protect himself from the life-threatening noise. He scoured around the room in a battle stance, trying to discover the source of the horrid sound. 

The screeching of a mic sounded (which, at this point, was merciful relief to the ears) and the music dimmed, bringing their attention to a speaker on the wall of the bedroom.

"Speaker...? Why would a hotel room have a speaker...?" Eren mused.

"Ahem," an awfully familiar voice suddenly resonated throughout the room. Eren and Levi both tensed up at once.

"Is this on? Is it? YO ERWIN. IT'S BROKEN! ...oh, it was recording...shut up! Just because I'm a closet scientist doesn't mean I have to know _everything_. Shut up. Anyways...why helloooooo Mr. Head Host and his new blossoming lover, I hope I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Fucking witch, I should've known," Levi groaned, rubbing his forehead tiredly. Eren noticed and gently coaxed him to sit down on the bed while Hanji's voice keep continued.

"Did you _really_ think I'd be nice enough to set this all up for you _with no ties involved_? How did you not see this coming, Captain? Oh, I know. You were too occupied with the overwhelming thought of deflowering the youthful, innocent new recruit that you could think of nothing else, am I right?"

"Why does everyone think you're some innocent, flowerly boy?" Levi protested angrily. Though Eren found it quite amusing that he said nothing to contradict Hanji's _actual_ point.

"By the way, I hope you enjoyed the song I left for you. Aren't we so lucky that that karaoke place gives us recordings of every song we sing on a CD afterwards? So generous. Anyways, that'll be playing for the rest of the day in this room. I hope it doesn't _ruin the mood_ or anything..."

"WHAT?! WHY?!" Both Eren and Levi stood up in a flurry, rage plastered on their faces.

"...that is unless, you both do me a favour."

"What? What favour? Please, please, please tell me I'll do anything," Eren whined, not caring that he was shamelessly desperate at this point.

It was as if Hanji could hear every word they were saying. "On the side table is a list of chores that I need to get done for the Host Club. Mostly going around, shopping for this and that. Unfortunately, the rest of us are all quite occupied right now getting the place ready for winter, but the two of you together should pull it off just fine."

Practically running for the side table, both Eren and Levi lunged towards what looked like a folded sheet of paper. Eren grabbed and unfolded it...only to have an entire length of paper about a metre long cascade sullenly towards the floor. Levi grabbed the paper from Eren and his eyes, too, darkened, as he saw the tiny font inked on every pixel of the paper.

"Here's the deal. If you finish the tasks, and get all the stuff back to me by today, I'll turn the music off, easy as that."

Eren and Levi exchanged discouraged looks. How could they possibly be all done by today.

"I believe in you! The power of bo—I mean, _love_ is strong! ENJOOOY~!" With that Hanji's talking voice was immediately replaced with her satan summoning one, as a horrible rendition of Hatsune Miku's The World is Mine blasted through the room.

"What do we do now? We'll never get this done," Eren said in a loud voice.

"Oh...I'll tell you what we'll do..." Levi said through gritted teeth, throwing the list aside.

Eren found himself looking at an approaching Levi who guided him onto the bed again, so that they were both seated side by side. With a lot more hesitance, Levi leaned in and started kissing Eren again. Eren desperately tried to recall the sensation from earlier, yet despite how undeniably good Levi's lips felt regardless of the circumstance, there was something awfully...distracting in the background.

Levi pulled back. Despite the ruckus, Eren could hear every single word of Levi's low and gentle tone. "We can do it, right? It's just a little music, nothing bad. Screw the witch. We'll going to foil her plan. If we focus...we can definitely get it done."

Eren was touched by the determined look in Levi's eyes. He nodded with over-brimming admiration as he captured Levi's lips again, his mouth moving fiercely and harsh, anything, _anything_ to filter out the noise in the background. And when Levi started touching him again, he felt that was almost able to forget completely. It was working. Levi was right. They were actually going to get away with this. It was going to happen...

Suddenly, the mic screeching noise sounded again and Hanji's voice returned:

"Oh by the way, don't even think about trying to ignore the music and keep going with your business because I swear to god I will put you two on different shifts for the rest of your **_lives_**. Okay, have fun boys~!"

Still with their arms wrapped around each other, Levi and Eren looked at each other mournfully.

"GODDAMMIT!" they both screamed woefully at the _exact_ same time.

 

* * *

 

Before he knew it, Eren was back in the passenger seat of Levi's black car. He was sporting the deadliest pout the world had ever witnessed, as he gazed wistfully out the window, yearning for what he had been so close to achieving...yet now, it was so far.

Eren sighed and turned back to Levi, hoping for some conversation that might cheer him up.

"Hey Levi, do you know why—?"

Eren stopped in his speech as he noticed something about Levi. Tilting forwards slightly, he saw that Levi's expression was focused as he always was while driving, but there was something a little off about him.

Before Eren could stop himself, he foolishly blurted out what he was thinking:

"Aw, Levi, don't cry. We'll get another chance."

Eren yelped as the car lurched, as Levi lost all composure immediately and suddenly became very flustered.

"What is this crying you speak of?" Levi tried to keep his voice steady, straightening up in his seat awkwardly.

Eren smirked, looking away. He leaned his chin back on his hand as he gazed out the window.

"You're so damn cute Levi..."

"Shut up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, Levi is a fuqing loser who cries because he couldn't do the do with Eren.
> 
> EXAAAAMS ARE DONE HALLELUJAH! TALK TO MEH BROS! I MISSED YOU. 
> 
> I will update soon so bear with me. I love you guys so so much! We hit 300 kudos (which is not a big deal to other people but it's still a milestone in my eyes) so thanks so much for sharing and liking this story. This really gives me joy to write.  
> THANK YOOOOOU~! AI WUV U.
> 
> p.s. 69 bookmarks. huehuhehuehuehue
> 
> Btws I hope you know you guys are insane, reading through 18 chapters of this within like a day or so. Just so you know 72 000 words is like a short chapter book so.... o.o Well done lol.


	19. sleep tight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A joyous host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> Full of surprises and treats, the Titan Host Club is one hell of a place to be this winter season.
> 
> Things may appear discouraging, but who knows? It just might turn out pleasantly... 

"Levi~! I want chocolate!" Eren whined.

"What are you, five?!" Levi scolded. "Since when did you like sweet things anyway?"

Eren let go of the shopping cart he was pushing to clamp his arms around Levi, nuzzling against his shoulder. "Since I started kissing you... _a lot_."

"You're such a brat, I swear," Levi said, shaking his arm free. "Save it for later, idiot, we're in public."

"What are you afraid of? Hanji knows...I think...there's nothing to hide anymore," Eren said, refusing to let go.

"Just because the witch knows doesn't mean the rest of the public world has to know," Levi said resolutely, walking away.

But if there was one thing Eren could do better than Levi, that was staying determined (and that's saying something).

Eren hung even tighter onto Levi's arm. "Levi...!" he whined loudly. "Why don't you love me?" He was mewling like a lost kitten.

"Oi, brat! Hush up! People are watching!" Levi said, still walking, dragging Eren along.

"Levi~! Levi...Levi...! _Levi! Levi~! LEVIIIIIII~!_ " The sound was achingly adorable. And Levi would have appreciated it a lot more if he wasn't so perturbed by the stares he was receiving as he dragged Eren through the aisle of baking goods.

"Eren!" Levi exclaimed, clamping his hand over Eren's mouth. Though he did make the mistake of looking into Eren's pleading eyes which melted his resolve just a little.

"Oi, oi! What did I tell you about acting cute?! Save it for later!" he ordered. "Go get the cart! We need to get this done!"

The "cuteness" dissolved from Eren's face, instantly replaced by a frustrated look of disappointment. "Fine. Be that way," he pouted. Levi shook his head disdainfully at the boy as he went to retrieve the already half-filled cart.

Eren leaned forwards on the handle and watched as Levi tossed a few packages of baking goods into the cart, crossing off the list as he went along.

"What else do we still need?" Eren asked.

"3/4 of her grocery list," Levi said, sighing at the already stacked cart. "Honestly, I don't understand why you refuse to split up. We'd get this done a lot faster."

Eren smiled when he met eyes with Levi again. "I think the answer to that is obvious."

Levi looked at him, partially amused, partially concerned as they walked down the aisle together, progressively heading towards the produce section.

"Are you sure you're still the same foul-mouthed kid I kicked a few months ago?" Levi asked abruptly.

Eren shrugged. "As much as you're still the same violent, temperamental old man who I got kicked by, I guess."

"Nowadays, you're just so...so..."

Eren stopped the cart and poked his head right in front of Levi's face, stopping him in his tracks. He flashed a cheesy grin at him.

"So what? Hmm?" he quipped cheerfully.

Levi gave him a bemused smile. He poked Eren playfully in the forehead pushing him away.

"You keep acting like _that_ ," he responded, gesturing for Eren to keep walking.

At last, they reached the colourful fruits and green vegetables, Eren pushing the cart as Levi picked out what they needed. He inspected each leaf, each bulb, each fruit carefully before bagging them and putting them in.

"To be honest, I do feel like I've changed since I met you, Levi," Eren spoke as they continued.

"Hmm?"

Eren contemplated. "For one thing, I've come to appreciate hard work a lot more now, and if anything I learned what it means to be motivated. And I guess you also taught me to control my temper...since then I haven't lashed out at anyone. And I'm a lot more grateful now too, for a lot of things. I learned to care about other people."

"Tch, brat. You make me sound like an actual moralistic person," Levi snipped.

"Please, you're far from it," Eren said. "I guess...just being around you...that's enough." He blushed as he finished his sentence, realizing how cheesy and self-admitting it was. Even evi noticed, as he stopped midway in choosing lettuce to look at Eren quizzically.

Levi smiled gently at him. "Brat," he said, ruffling Eren's hair. "That's about enough confessions for a day."

Eren bent to accept the gesture. "All on my behalf though," he said.

"Mine will come at a later time," Levi said. "But if _you_ keep flirting, we're going to be here until tomorrow morning."

"Because it's all my fault," Eren mocked.

Levi poked him in the cheek with a cucumber. "Focus, brat."

Eren made a face. "Was that a euphemism?" he taunted.

"Just go pick out some tomatoes."

"FINE. Geez."

Eren stalked away towards the displays of red fruit, huffing and puffing at Levi's stone indifference. Though he ought to have known better, considering Levi wasn't much of a guy for PDA, and liked to follow the concept of "whatever happens in this room, stays in this room" etc.etc. It was always like this on the rare occasions they went out before.

Eren smiled deviously to himself. A man can always _change_.

Eren found the rack of cheapest tomatoes and stared blankly at it. He'd never gone grocery shopping before and he sure as hell had _never_ had to pick out fruits or vegetables of any sort before. Mikasa and Armin had always been around to spoil him useless in that sense.

Without thinking much, he grabbed a bag, and threw fifteen tomatoes in at random, not even looking. Simply relieved, he dashed back to the cart where Levi was standing, and tossed them in before any inspection could occur.

"That was fast," Levi commented, sifting carefully through some parsley leaves.

"Well, we have to get this done quickly, so..." Eren laughed nervously. 

If Levi was suspicious, he was too occupied to show it. "Does this look worth it?" Levi asked, holding out a giant, yellow pineapple.

Eren didn't what to use as a judging criteria, so he ended looking at the leaves growing at the top. _It's all chopped and withering so the actual fruit has to be unhealthy..._

"Uhh...no?" he said doubtfully. 

"Hmm, okay. I thought it was a bit too expensive too," Levi said, putting it back down.

"Uh...yeah..." Eren said stupidly, taking over his job of pushing the cart so he didn't have to answer anymore questions.

He forced himself to stay quiet for awhile, so that Levi wouldn't ask him anymore questions. He politely followed Levi row after row, helping to bag when needed, organizing the cart at every stop and most importantly, didn't utter another word until they were out of the produce section.

Eren watched obediently as Levi ordered some fresh fish by the counter, stopping only to poke at the dead gills of a fish lying by the side until Levi clutched Eren's hand and pulled it away.

"Stop it! That's dirty!" he scolded with concern.

"Aw man! That's a cute one you got there!" the chubby man with a mustache who was scaling Levi's fish smiled encouragingly.

Levi let go of Eren's hand angrily before responding to the man.

"Trust me, he's anything _but_ cute," Levi gestured bluntly at Eren.

The man looked confused for a moment, but then broke out into a beaming smile again. "I was talking about the fish but now that you mention it...your lover's pretty damn adorable too!" He chuckled heartily, leaving Levi mortified.

Regardless, he thanked the man with a bright red flush on his face and left with as much composure as he could muster.

Not without Eren smiling sadistically at him the entire time.

"Smooth," Eren cackled viciously.

"Shut up," Levi huffed. "You're ordering next time."

"Like I know how."

"Go get the meat. I'll stand behind you. Just read off these ten items and pick the one that looks the best."

"That's sounds horribly difficult."

Levi sighed. "No matter how much you've improved, I forgot that brain cells don't grow anymore after a certain age."

"Wow..." The two exchanged glares as Levi pushed him towards the butcher. 

Under Levi's guidance and corrections, it went smoother than Eren expected. He pushed the cart away (which was creaking under the weight at this point), happier than he had been this entire morning.

"Yay! I know how to order meat now," he said proudly.

"Congratulations, your mother would be so proud," Levi said sarcastically.

Eren stopped. "My mother is dead."

Levi froze. _Oh shit_.

Suddenly, Eren's face broke out and shone brightly and gleefully again. "Haha! Just kidding! You should've seen the look on your face."

Levi wasn't amused. "You really shouldn't make jokes like that."

Eren wrapped his arms around Levi's shoulders, jumping around him. "Nah, it's okay. My mom's the coolest the person you'll ever meet. She always teases me too. She's away with my dad right now but she'll be back soon."

"Stay still, won't you?" Levi said, now pushing the cart. Sadly, his mistake was allowing Eren to walk around freely and "explore".

"LEVI. YOU HAVE TO BUY MY THOSE CHIPS," Eren yelled suddenly. He bounded like idiot over to display and grabbed four bags of sketchy looking chips.

Levi squinted his eyes to read. " _Mr. Delicoius?_ What's that? It sounds sketchy as fuck."

Eren paid no attention and threw into the cart. "Oh, quit being such an Armin. They're two for ninety-cents, heichou. And there's a shrimp flavour. And a bacon flavour. Can't get any better than that."

"Do they even taste _good_?" Levi speculated, scanning the nutrition facts of the package,

"Nope!" Eren said. "But...I'm craving them for some reason..."

Levi held up the bag. "You know, Eren. I could always buy proper chips for you. You don't have to worry about the price."

Eren shook his head. "Trust me. I actually _want_ those."

"If you say so..." Levi submitted, placing the bag back into the cart, pushing it towards the cashiers.

"LEVI!" Eren yelled again.

This time, Levi jumped. "What?!"

Before he knew it, Eren was back with approximately fifty chocolate bars.

"Please?" he pouted.

"WHY?! You never liked junk food before!" Levi exclaimed futilely, as Eren poured the contents into the cart.

"It's just a recent craving," Eren said. "Strangely it started after Halloween but...hey, it's there."

"Are you really going to eat all of that?" Levi gawked, appalled by the avalanche of bright colours onto his cart.

Eren leaned his arm on Levi's shoulder. "In one sitting. Trust me."

"You're going to get chubby."

"Good. Then you might actually think of me as cuter."

Levi tried picking them out. "Can't you try something _healthier_?"

"But _Levi..._ " Eren whined, pouting again.

This time, since there was no one around, the whining was more effective than ever. Levi sighed, in defeat to both himself and Eren as he dropped the chocolates back in.

"Levi, you're the best," Eren said.

"Since when did you pout so much? Just be quiet, we need to get out of here now," Levi groaned. "We have a few more places to visit."

At last, they reached the line-ups, as Levi piled all the food on the counter carefully.

Suddenly, despite having been quiet this entire time, Levi heard Eren's voice again.

"LEVI!!" he was calling from who knows where.

Levi didn't even bother glancing in that direction, didn't even bother looking up to see what Eren had got his hands on this time.

"NO."

 

* * *

 

"Am I cute now?" Eren purred.

Levi scowled as he ripped the pink accessory off Eren's head. "For god's sake, haven't you had enough of cat ears?"

Eren scoffed. "Of course not. It landed me with you."

"And that's a good thing?"

Annoyed, Eren grabbed Levi's arm and pecked his cheek. "What do you think?"

"Oi..."

Their next stop was a costume shop, located in a large, overdone shopping centre in the city neighbouring the one the Titan Host Club was located. Levi had in his arms numerous colourful dresses and suits, while Eren clutched various accessories, masks, face-paints, and the like.

"Levi, this one would look cute on you," Eren said from behind one of the racks.

"If it's a sexy maid costume or anything of the like I will literally wring your neck," Levi replied apathetically, making his way over after selecting a long black dress of some sort.

Eren poked his head out from behind the stands. "Pervert."

"Let's see then."

Although it really wasn't "anything of the like", Levi was still tempted to murder Eren right then and there.

"You brat..." Levi uttered, as he stared at a bunny costume, complete with a matching head and furry ears. And a carrot. He looked at it in the most apathetic manner.

"What? You'd be the most popular host if you put that on."

"First of all, I'm already the most popular host. _Second of all_ , if I put that on I will actually make Five Nights at Freddie's a reality and I will _kill you first_."

Eren snorted. "Egotistical and rude all in one go. See I still don't understand why so many people like you."

Levi smirked. "Well, the one likes me the most is the biggest idiot of them all."

"Oh, COME ON."

"What? You walked right into it."

Eren glared at him. "I forgot I liked you for a moment."

Levi rolled his eyes. "How the hell do you _forget_ something like that?"

As soon as he uttered the question, Levi knew the tables had turned on him, as a mischievous smile appeared on Eren's face.

"Maybe you should give me more constant reminders then," he smirked. Levi shuddered. It was actually quite tantalizing, actually. He was the one who was supposed to have the upper hand in these situations.

Eren moved towards him.

"One kiss...please?" Eren said quietly.

"OI, how on Earth did the situation come to this?!" Levi exclaimed.

Eren reached forwards and grabbed Levi's wrist. "Come _on_. No one's looking."

Levi glared at the bright, yearning eyes. He looked around  once, made sure no one was looking, and gave Eren a quick peck on the lips.

"There, you happy?" he scorned.

The look on the brunette's face was enough to tell. "That was like an elementary school student's kiss."

Levi's eyebrows furrowed even more than usual. "What do you want me to do? Make out with you right here, right now in this store?"

Eren's eyes glimmered. "If you don't, I will." He lunged forwards suddenly.

"What the—!" All the costumes in Levi's arms collapsed to the floor as he dodged Eren.

"Um...excuse me? Is everything alright?" called the voice of the shopkeeper from the side.

Startled by the sound of another person, it was Eren who yelped and jumped sideways, ramming directly into a rack of animal costumes beside him and knocking them all over with a loud crash.

Levi was furious. "Goddammit Eren! You and your hormones—"

He was cut off when he noticed that the shopkeeper had appeared with a distraught look in her eyes. She gazed hopelessly at the horribly toppled display that she would now have to clean up.

"I'm so sorry!" Eren babbled. "You don't have to clean it up...uh...we'll...uh..."

Levi glared dangerously at Eren from the side. "Eren..." he warned.

"WE'LL TAKE ALL OF THEM!"

The shopkeeper beamed. Levi's face darkened.

"EREN!"

 

* * *

 

"Sorry Levi...I didn't realize you were going to cover it all yourself," Eren muttered sadly as they walked through the mall together. Both of them were carrying at least five bags in each hand.

" _Tch_...well did you think the witch would do it? Why do you think she sent me?" Levi scowled in response.

"I'm sorry...that was all my fault..." Eren said again.

Levi glanced over and saw the miserable expression on Eren's face. He smirked to himself. The truth was he never really was mad at Eren, but after seeing him so uneasy for Levi's own sake, it had only made Levi want to tease him more.

All of a sudden, a loud rumbling sounded. Levi looked over to Eren who smiled sheepishly.

Levi smiled back. "Hungry, brat?" he asked.

"...a little," Eren mumbled.

Still smiling tenderly, Levi transferred all of his bags to one hand and used the free hand to grab onto Eren's arm. Eren was quite startled.

"Come on brat," Levi said. "Let's get you something to eat." Eren stared wordlessly as Levi pulled him along.

"You..." Eren uttered.

"What?"

"HOW ARE YOU HOLDING ALL THOSE BAGS IN ONE HAND?!"

Levi sighed. "I've been kind enough to hold your hand in public and _that's_ what you notice?"

"You're not holding my hand, you're awkwardly clutching my arm," Eren said pointedly.

The glares were starting to become a routinely thing. "Fine then," Levi said.

Eren watched in awe as Levi grabbed the bags from Eren's right hand and transferred them into his own left hand that was already weighed down with bags. Not faltering at all underneath the weight, Levi grabbed onto Eren's hand and pulled him along without a care.

"Whoa...what are you? _Humanity's Strongest_ or something?" Eren gaped. Despite his words, they were only to distract him from the fact that Levi's bare palm fit quite nicely into his own.

Levi smirked. "Perhaps, in another life. But in this one, I'm just a member of the working class who works out a lot in his free time."

"Geez...one day I'll be cooler than you, just watch," Eren declared.

He felt the grip tighten on his hand. "I'll be waiting," Levi smiled.

Eren no longer had anything to say, subtly turning away to avoid meeting eyes with Levi. 

Within a time frame that seemed much too short, they arrived to the hustle and bustle of the stereotypical over-coloured, over-crowded food court. Picking a random table that was likely not properly cleaned, Levi threw the bags down and finally let go of Eren's hand. Eren followed suit and sat down while Levi scanned the place.

"What do you to eat, brat?" Levi asked.

Eren opened his mouth. "Y—"

" _Don't_ even say it," Levi interrupted. "Now seriously? What do you want?"

Eren gathered his variety of choices. "...everything."

" _Really?"_

"Hey, you asked me what I  _wanted_. Not what I actually plan on eating."

"Oi, brat, when the hell did you become so brazen anyway? ...and gluttonous to think of it."

"I've clearly been influenced by you."

"That's it. I'm getting you a salad."

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Eren screamed, wrapping his arms around Levi's waist to hold him back. "I'm sorry! I'll get a burger! Any burger! PLEEEEAASE!!"

"That's what I thought," Levi said, pleased with himself. "Now sit still and watch our stuff until I come back...if you can."

Despite Eren's pleading, Levi didn't waste one second in leaving. And so, there remained a lonely Eren sat by the table overflowing with bags and bags of material with strange colours and patterns. Naturally, his plan was to pull out his phone and pretend he was texting someone in order to avoid any awkward eye contact. It was shocking to discover that someone actually _had_ texted him.

 **9:05 [Armin] Eren, where are you actually? Everyone wants to know.**  

Eren checked the time on his phone. _12:37_. Though it seemed a bit late to reply, he did it anyways, to ease his lack of any other distraction.

**12:37 [Eren] i'm just running some errands with Levi. how's it going at the club?**

To his surprise, the reply was almost instantaneous.

**12:37 [Armin] Errands? What kind of errands? Where are you?**

**12:37 [Eren] i'm just sitting here waiting for him to get me some food**

**12:38 [Armin] Why is he getting you food?**

**12:38 [Eren] ...because I'm hungry? o.o**

A few minutes passed by before another text arrived.

 **12:40** **[Armin] Yo eren. its reneinr. quikc qesution. didi u goi toa hotel with Levie.**

The delayed minutes were mostly spent in deciphering the message.

**12:42 [Eren] u askin if i went to a hotel with Levi?**

**12:43 [Armin] ye**

This is where Eren paused. Though the hotel part had originally been a part of Hanji's plan, he wondered whether or not he should tell them this information. For the most part, Levi still wanted to keep their whole thing a secret. Whether Hanji knew and chose not to tell, or didn't know and was merely teasing them, Eren still wasn't sure. The way he responded to this text may blow it all up.

So he chose the cryptic method.

**12:45 [Eren] I choose the cryptic method.  
**

**12:46 [Armin] took u long enough to answer u dumb twerp. we have some suspicions that u r skipping work  
**

**12:47 [Eren] ymir is dat u?  
**

**12:47 [Armin] how'd u no?**

**12:47 [Eren] reiner couldn't spell suspicions to save a life**

**12:48 [Armin] tru tru. now fess up glossy boy. u and levi sleeping togeder or no?**

Fortunately, he could answer this one truthfully.

 **12:48 [Eren]** **haaaa....noooo.....**

**12:48 [Armin] den why's he with you**

**12:49 [Eren] we're doing a job. i've been told to remain secretive.  
**

**12:49 [Armin] huh. i've been getting weird vibes from you guys recently**

**12:49 [Eren] ur weird. we have no vibes.**

**12:50 [Armin] suuuuuuure you don't**

"Who're you texting?" Levi's voice sounded in Eren's ears, as he arrived with a fast food paper bag and two drinks which he placed on the table. Eren put away his phone at once and lunged for the contents.

"Armin, Reiner and Ymir...I think," he responded as he dug through the contents. "Thank you for the food!"

"Pretty sure that's the first time you've ever thanked me," Levi said, as he took a seat as well. "Did they ask anything about where you are?"

"Yup, and they're have 'suspicions' apparently," Eren replied as he pulled out a cheeseburger and fries. "Wait a minute, why are there two cheeseburgers?"

"I need to eat too, brat."

"You eat fast food?"

"Am I not allowed?"

Eren stared in disbelief as Levi took the burger and unwrapped it himself.

"I always thought you'd be like 'ugh, grease is for peasants. I would never...'" Eren said.

"If you're gonna imitate me, can you at least _try_ to do a good job?" said Levi as he took a bite of his burger. "Besides, why live being afraid of eating simply to satisfy society's conformities? Anyways, what's this about suspicions?"

Eren shrugged. He took another huge bite of the remaining half of his juicy burger, chomped down on a few fries and sipped a bit of his drink before answering.

"They think...we're...uh...dating?" Eren said casually between bites.

Levi stared at his subordinate. "...and what did you say?"

"Nothing really. I thought you'd like it better if I remained cryptic," Eren replied proudly.

"That sounds...too intelligent for the likes of you."

"Hey! You should rely on me sometimes too, you know. Contrary to your belief, I'm not actually completely useless."

Levi had to smile at the adorable comment. "If you were completely useless, I wouldn't like you so much now, would I?"

Eren was about to turn away again when Levi grabbed his non-cheeseburgery hand.

"Don't turn away. Let me see that rare humbled face of yours when you actually get embarrassed by something," he said.

And there it was, for Levi's full viewing pleasure. It was lovely shade of pink, so nicely contrasted by his brown hair. Along with his cheeks puffed, filled with food and slightly yearnful green eyes. Levi would never say it, but he knew that whatever that face demanded of him, he would be weak to succumb to.

"You brat, you act so bold but it actually doesn't take much to make you like this, does it?" Levi sneered. "Looks like I'm going to have to embarrass you even more soon."

Rendered to silence, Eren could find nothing witty to say, and was reduced to mere cheeseburger consuming teenager once again within Levi's presence.

In the meantime, of course Levi was obviously extremely proud of himself (but also partially relieved).

"That's right," he said. "That'll teach you for trying to monopolize me. Now hurry up and eat. We still have shops to visit."

 

* * *

 

Their next stop was a department store, all festive and bright with lights to set the Christmas-y mood. Everyone in the store was pushing carts of what were to be presents for their loved ones, strolling through aisle after aisle of slightly overpriced merchandise in a quest for the perfect gift.

Levi and Eren had another mission, however, and that was to pick up an extended list of decorations for the Titan Host Club. Despite Eren throwing some glittering ruffles onto Levi several times, they made it out fairly quick, in their anxiety to get their job done. They ran out of the mall, Eren carrying the costumes and Levi carrying a wide assortment of ornaments, decorating paper, trinkets and god knows what else Hanji requested.

"If I ever get Carpal Tunnel Syndrome she's paying for my treatments," Eren announced nonchalantly as he massaged his wrists, back in Levi's car.

"She's a pure businesswoman," said Levi. "She doesn't pay for _anything._ "

"What about the hotel room?"

"Not like she's been paying you these past few months. That's where your precious technical paycheck went."

The next destination brought them to a sketchy alleyway in the middle of nowhere. Though Eren was at first hesitant to go in, he was anything but a coward and came with Levi anyways. It was there that they picked up a few  _barrels_ of "licensed chemicals", sold to them by a sketchy-looking old man with a terrible haircut and a messy, unshaven face.

"How much?" Levi asked, once they were done browsing.

The man's eyes glimmered dangerously as his lips curved into an abomination of a sneer.

"How about that _enticing_ young boy over there?" he cackled, pointing at Eren and licking his lips. Across the room, Eren was eyeing suspiciously at a bubbling gasket, and wasn't paying attention until he noticed someone pointing at him.

He looked up, eyes wide. "Eh?"

"Look how precious he is," the shopkeeper said. "Come on, Levi. Share him with an old friend."

Eren finally made his way over. "What's going on, Levi?"

Levi sighed. "Fine. You can have him."

"WHAT."

Expression unchanging, Levi pushed Eren over to the greasy man without a care.

"What the hell Levi!" Eren yelped.

"Oh by the way," Levi mentioned. "Just so you know, he's not at all precious."

But the man wasn't listening anymore. Licking his lips again, he reached his grubby hands around Eren's waist and pulled him close into his body. Levi could only smirk when Eren retaliated immediately and elbowed him in the gut, knocking him backwards to the ground at once.

"What was that for?!" Eren complained as he made his way back to Levi.

"Nothing, just wanted to have a little fun," Levi said, still smiling. "Merry Christmas, Nile." He threw a wad of cash on the table, grabbed the barrels of chemicals and shut the door behind the crippled shopkeeper.

After visiting at least another three outlets, a furniture shop, a jewelry shop, an electronics store, a bakery and god knows what else Hanji demanded of them, the two were finally on their way back to deliver the purchases to Hanji. Eren stopped worryiing about how much more Levi could fit into his car when the Head Host somehow managed to squish two full-sized dining chairs into his already packed vehicle.

"Packing is a valuable skill to acquire," Levi responded when Eren appeared flabbergasted.

By this time, however, the blue-black digital clock in Levi's car was already shifting past 11:30 P.M., and Eren was already having difficulty keeping his eyes open, with his head tilted to the side on the verge of dozing off and his arms cradling a bag of stuffed animals. It took willpower of every single one of Levi's nerves to keep his hands on the wheel and his eyes focused on the road despite his urge to touch or tease Eren in some way.

At last, they finally arrived at the familiar parking lot. Levi decided to leave the dazed Eren in the car while he unloaded and brought everything into the club. Only Hanji was still there at this time, awaiting him with a devious expression. She prodded this and that, and did some teasing and such, but Levi was too tired to hear a thing, and he decided his own battering should wait until tomorrow.

"Have fun and stay safe!" Hanji called after him when he was done. "Don't forget to wear a—" The door slammed shut behind Levi. 

Levi skulked his way back to car, to find that Eren was indeed already sleeping. He breathed out a sigh, taking a moment to relax. As he pondered how hard he had worked the entire day and how much strife he had go through, he decided that a reward was more than in order. Before putting on his seatbelt, he leaned over to Eren's peaceful, sleeping face and smiled gently at him.

He touched Eren's brown hair and softly parted it from his forehead. Hesitating for only second, he bent down and pressed his lips as carefully as he could onto Eren's exposed forehead. And he stayed like that for awhile, hidden by the shelter of the car and shrouded by the darkness of the night, with only the stars as his witness. It was such a simple, chaste touch of his lover's skin...yet it was more than enough to rejuvenate himself from the entire day.

He finally leaned back, just a little, and positioned himself so his lips now hovered over Eren's lips, less than an inch away.

"I can't wait... _Eren_ ," Levi whispered.

 

* * *

 

 

"GODDAMMIT BRAT. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ANYTHING WITH YOU LIKE THIS."

"But Levi~! I'm so schleepy...! I can't move my legs..."

Never had a truer fact been said as Eren's arms dangled lifelessly around Levi's neck, his butt barely sliding off the bed as Levi struggled to drag him on. Levi groaned as Eren let out another agonizingly contagious yawn.

"GET IT TOGETHER EREN! WE'LL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE LIKE THIS!" Levi roared. Never before had the Head Host appeared so desperate.

"But Levi..."

Levi finally got Eren into a proper lying position, as he breathed a huffy sigh and sat on the edge of the bed, observing the pathetic sight before him. As annoyed as he was, he couldn't help but think that Eren had never looked this vulnerable ever before, with his lidded eyes and dazed expression like that.

He gave in. "Oi brat, at least take off your jacket before you sleep," he said, as he tried to remove the green marshmallow coat.

To his surprise, Eren actually started to push him away as he worked on the zipper.

"Leviiii...." he whined. "I said I was tiiiired...why are you stripping me now...?"

"Stop it, brat! I'm trying to help you!" Levi yelled. "Why the hell do you become a drunkard when you're over-tired anyways? And aren't you supposed to be wide awake at times like these? You're a teenager, aren't you?"

"Lemme do it..." Eren drawled, as he clumsily sat up and removed the coat. He tossed it carelessly onto the side of the bed (at which Levi scrunched his nose in an attempt to ignore) and immediately collapsed back onto the bed.

"How far do you want me to go...?" Eren kept talking as he started pulling on the hem of his sweater. Levi grabbed his hands before he could.

" _Tch_ , you're so burdensome. Just go to bed!" Levi groaned. He too proceeded to remove his shoes and collapse onto the bed besides Eren. He had already taken a quick shower but had changed back into his old clothes, finding the robes too much of a burden to wear to bed.

"Levi...you're sleeping with me?" Eren said suddenly, from beside him.

Levi pulled up the blanket and covered the both of them. "What? Are you going to deny me that right too?"

Eren smiled sleepily, his eyes barely opening. "You smell good, Levi." Shamelessly, he nuzzled in closer and wrapped his arms around Levi's waist.

"Oii...brat..." Levi's voice was shaky, and he was glad his back was turned so that Eren couldn't see his flustered face (not that he would've been awake enough to comprehend anyways).

He felt Eren squishing his face in a bit more.

"You're warm too...Levi...so warm..." he mumbled.

Eren's voice faded away, and when Levi heard the heavier breathing, he knew that Eren had finally succumbed to the soft covers beneath him. He himself shifted just a little bit, careful not to wake Eren, whose arms were still wrapped around him. Slightly touching Eren's hands with his own, Levi curled up and closed his eyes.

The last thing he felt was the warm feeling of Eren's breathing on his neck before he too, fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PHEW! What a loooong update.
> 
> Sorry for the OOC Nile. I needed some humour and I figured hey why not use the douchey commander. Anyways, I hope you all have been having a nice Christmas Break regardless :)
> 
> Lots of whiny Eren. But he deserves it, after all that tension from earlier he's just letting himself loose on Levi right now. He's still tough though, don't worry. And perhaps a bit manipulative. LOL.
> 
> MERRY CHRISTMAS~!


	20. christmas day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A ho-ho-ho host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
> 
> May all your wishes come true in the New Year!

_It's so warm..._ Eren thought, as he nuzzled up against the unknown source of heat.

He had never had a slumber so peaceful, so comfortable ever before in his life. He wondered if it was because of the soft cushions of the bed or...or...

His eyes slowly squeezed open. Eren jumped when he saw the pair of awfully familiar eyes gaze back at him.

He flipped to a sitting position in an instant, flipping the covers as he went. "LEVI!"

"Merry Christmas. You finally woke up, brat..." Levi snarled, his head still rested against the pillow. "Good thing too, because _bad_ things would've happened if _you_ woke me up by accident."

Eren scanned his surroundings. He had been sleeping beside Levi the entire night, possibly indulging in some snuggles and cuddles. He had blacked out after Levi had driven to the Host Club and didn't remember a thing since then. Somehow, he ended up here, in this bed...

...with Levi.

He looked down. Fully dressed. Except for...

"Levi...why is my jacket on the ground?" Eren asked.

Levi groaned, slowly dragging himself upward from the bed, his back arching gracefully as he lifted himself up. Eren gulped. He casually brushed some bed hair out of his eyes. Eren found he couldn't stop staring at Levi's morning, disheveled appearance.

"You don't remember a thing, do you?" Levi responded.

"...am I supposed to remember something?" Eren inquired.

Levi smirked, suddenly reaching to pull Eren into his body so that their bodies were slightly pressed together, their noses inches apart.

"You took that coat off yourself you know," Levi smiled. "Throwing it so carelessly on the floor as you thrashed about on the bed."

Eren gasped. Levi's hands were starting to move dangerously against his body.

"Do you know what you said after that?" Levi continued, his hand snaking beneath the hem now, satisfied by the way Eren shivered.

" _How far do you want me to go...?_ " Levi repeated, slurring a bit as Eren did the night before. He was full on touching Eren's bare skin now, who was starting to flush in disbelief.

"And then do you know what happened?"

Eren shook his head slowly, eager to hear an answer. 

In one strong move, Levi flipped Eren onto his back, pinned him down and crawled over top of him. He leaned down, as if to kiss Eren. Eren closed his eyes in anticipation. 

"And then you fucking went to sleep brat," Levi said harshly, his voice much too far away.

Eren cracked open his eyes to see that Levi had leaned way back again, his former seducing expression completely gone.

"Are you serious?" Eren cried as he bolted upwards. "What was all that build-up for?!"

"What were you expecting?"

Eren turned away, huffing in anger. "You know damn well what I was expecting."

Levi smiled at him, reaching up to Eren's cheek and cupping it while playing around with his hair a bit.

"Come on, Eren, you can't do a Round Two when you fell asleep before Round One could even be initiated," Levi smirked.

Eren blushed.

"There'll be another chance," Levi reassured, slowly getting up and out of bed. "Maybe not in a fancy hotel room like this but there will be."

Eren suddenly grabbed Levi's arm and pulled on it. "Wait! Can't we just stay like this for a bit?"

"We have work to get in two hours."

"But...we'll never have a hotel room like this again..."

Levi bent down and kissed Eren softly on his forehead, slowly coaxing him out of the bed as well. He wrapped his arms around Eren's waist and pulled him closer.

"How's this...I'm feeling kind of stuffy so how about we take a quick shower together before we go?" Levi suggested.

Eren felt his heartbeat vamp up to light speeds. "Are we going to have enough time?"

"What exactly are you planning to do?"

Eren said nothing.

Levi smiled. "Whatever it is...we've got two hours."

Wordlessly, the two made their way out of the bedroom and towards the bathroom.

Before they went it, Eren suddenly stopped midstep.

Levi turned around. "What is it, Eren?"

"I almost forgot," Eren said.

"Huh?"

He wrapped his arms around Levi and gave him a tight hug.

"Happy Birthday, Levi."

 

* * *

 

 "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT HANJI?! TAKE IT DOWN!" Levi fumed.

Because right there, smack dab in the middle of the host club parlour, was a HUGE banner that said **"CONGRATULATIONS ON LOSING YOUR VIRGINITIES** " hanging obnoxiously off the ceiling. She had arranged for the hosts to stand around it, clapping and cheering as Levi and Eren entered the Host Club. Eren was mortified, whereas Levi was furious.

"Congratulations, shorty, you finally did this and that to Eren's cute little behind," Ymir snickered.

She backed away when Levi practically came charging at her. "Nothing happened, you twerp!" he yelled.

"My, my Levi, I never thought I'd see the day," said a voice from the side.

Levi whirled around. " _ERWIN?!_ THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

"So much for formalities," Erwin coughed. "It's Christmas. And your birthday. What kind of a friend would I be if I didn't come back to visit."

"You're no friend of mine," Levi glowered.

Meanwhile, Sasha and Connie were battering Eren with awkward questions.

"Did it hurt?" Sasha quipped.

"WHAT?!" Eren yelled. "NO!"

"So it didn't hurt," Connie jumped in. "How did it feel?"

"NOTHING HAPPENED."

"Was Levi any good?" they both said at the same time, when they suddenly both got dragged up by their shirt collars. Snarling, Levi tossed them to side and reclaimed his place beside Eren.

"What exactly did you text them yesterday?" Levi asked Eren.

"Nothing. I told you I'd keep it a secret," Eren said.

"What were your exact words?"

"'I choose to remain cryptic...'"

Levi glared at him. "You kept a secret by telling them you're keeping a secret? Goddammit, Eren."

"HEY! Clearly it's not my fault! Clearly Hanji told them."

Hanji spoke up for the first time. "Um, actually, I didn't say a word. Did you really think no one would notice you too making goochie faces behind everyone's backs? Cryptic, my ass. _Everyone_ had a hint. Except Jean, because he doesn't catch on very fast."

"Can't you at least be nice to me just on Christmas?" Jean complained.

Levi and Eren exchanged guilty looks with each other. Apparently they weren't as subtle as they thought.

"Fine, you win. But can you least take that banner down?" Levi asked.

Hanji looked confused. "Why? It's true isn't it?"

Levi and Eren exchanged looks again.

" _EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!!!_ " Hanji screeched, startling everyone except Levi.

"Please don't turn into a shoujo manga protagonist right now," he sighed.

She pointed at the two of them. "HOW?! EVERYTHING WAS PLANNED PERFECTLY. THE HOTEL ROOM. EVERYTHING."

"Well, if maybe you hadn't overworked the kid maybe he would've actually been _awake_."

Hanji shook her head slowly. "I'm disappointed in you, Levi. You have certainly become older than I thought."

"Four-eyes, I will seriously gut your throat out."

"And here I thought your desires would be enough to fuel your actions..."

"HANJI."

She snapped out of her reverie. "Oh well! There will be another time for that. Today is the Titan Host Club's CHRISTMAS PARTAY! Everyone get ready for the best time of the year!" She did a little dance, which Levi retched a little at the sight of.

Hanji pulled santa hats out of nowhere and plopped them onto Levi's and Eren's heads.

"The tree is decorated, the drinks are prepped and the place looks perfect! All thanks to me of course. Guests are coming soon so get ready!" Hanji mewled about. Everyone rolled their eyes simultaneously.

Though, aside from the clashing banner, the place did look utterly flawless. The tree stood vibrantly in the centre, decorated with orbs and ruffles and figurines of all sorts. A dazzling yellow star perched at its very tip, complementing the dark green of the pine. It was surrounded by tables draped with cloths as white as snow, ending in lacey patterns which indeed resembled snowflakes. Stockings and candy canes hung around the walls of the Host Club, along with festive paintings and drawings. There was even a table stacked with carefully wrapped presents, with every colour you could ever imagine in the stash.

"Are you guys ready for Christmas?" Hanji smiled, gazing around at her complete family of hosts, all decked out in their Christmas gear.

"You bet," Eren smirked.

The door bells' chimes rang through the parlour indicating the arrival of the first guest. The hosts smiled eagerly. Showtime.

"Well then," Hanji smiled. "Merry Christmas everyone!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We need more short updates. Well I do lol.
> 
> Just wanted to do something for Christmas and Levi's birthday so here we are. Just want to thank you all for reading. ^^
> 
> More Ereri development in the New Year. And I feel like I need to stick some Erwin in. Don't worry, it won't be what you think ;P
> 
>  
> 
> It's late and I just conjured this up real quickly so I hope you don't mind it's...recklessness. 
> 
> HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND BEST OF WISHES =)  
> THANKS FOR EVERYTHING GUISE


	21. ominous party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A reasonable host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> I see you working hard. It's been busy, hasn't it?!
> 
> Don't stress anymore! Take a break! ...for now at least ^^

"Geez, it's just a house party, what are you getting all dressed up?" Eren yammered.

He was lying sprawled on Armin's bed, watching his friend fasten a bowtie atop his white dress shirt.

"God, you look like a nerd," commented the boy who was decked out in the green hoodie he wore every other day and skinny black jeans that he hadn't washed for three days now.

"Excuse me for wanting to look presentable," Armin scorned, brushing out his sleeves.

Eren snorted. "Presentable? _Why?_ It's _Hanji's_ house party."

"If they're anything close to what she does at the host club, you're screwed, I hope you know that."

Eren grinned. "It won't be. I know her. She doesn't put effort into anything non-host club related."

Armin finished dressing and picked up his jacket, dusting it off as he went. Eren hopped off the bed and followed him downstairs.

"You're walking with me, right?" Armin asked.

Perturbed by the silence he got as a response, Armin turned back to look at Eren.

"Eren?"

"Um...yeah...about that." His friend shifted his eyes around nervously.

Armin sighed, dropping his jacket as he picked up his polished new shoes.

"Let me guess, you have a ride...from a certain someone," Armin said.

The awkward shuffling that Eren's feet were doing was more than enough of a response.

"Well...he kind of asked me last thing before yesterday's shift ended...and...well..."

Armin raised his eyebrows. "And you forgot about me, didn't you?"

"Well, I couldn't say no, and...oh my god, I'm sorry, I'm such a dick. I can't believe I did that to you." Eren was looking quite downright miserable, as if he truly had just deeply betrayed his friend.

"I'm sure he won't mind taking you too," Eren offered.

Armin resisted the urge to burst out laughing. "Oh, trust me. _He will_. One way or another," he said. He finished tying up his shoes and threw on his black jacket. "It's fine. I can walk alone."

"Are you sure?"

The blonde smiled genuinely. "Positive. What kind of friend would I be if I ruined your alone time with him?"

"You may not believe me but I really would ditch him and stay with you if you tell me too."

"I know. And that's why I'm letting you go," Armin said. "He's waiting for you, right?"

"Yeah, at my house."

"Then if you don't mind, I'll be off first."

"But—"

"Have fun, Eren," Armin winked, and disappeared immediately.

Eren walked out the door of Armin's house and headed towards his own, telling himself again and again not to take Armin's generosity for granted. He owed him one, and he would definitely pay it back.

With a sudden jolt in his pocket, Eren realized someone was texting him and he pulled his phone out his pocket:

**9:34 [Heichou] I'm in front of your house, where are you?**

**9:35 [Eren] brt, wuz at Armin's**

**9:35 [Heichou] Hurry up. We're late. The party starts at 10.**

In less than a minute, Eren caught sight of Levi's familiar black car parked outside his house. He scrambled his way over and clambered into the passenger seat as fast as he could.

"Sorry, I'm la—"

"What in the world are you wearing?"

Eren froze as his heart sank simultaneously. Turning his head, he finally caught sight of Levi's appearance for the first time. 

The first thing he noticed was the exasperated look on Levi's face. The second thing he noticed was that his superior was fully decked in the sharpest, cleanest black suit that Eren had  _ever_ seen him wear. It was buttoned fittingly around his tight waist, covering a paler grey vest beneath it. Neatly tied around his neck was a cravat that matched the shade of his jacket. Levi's dark hair also seemed a bit shinier and smoother than it usually was...and that was saying something. 

Eren threw his head onto the backrest in agony. "Goddammit! I should've listened to him!"

"Well, he's rarely ever wrong, so it was a bad call on your behalf," Levi commented.

Eren perked up. "How is it that you know exactly who I'm talking about?"

"You don't have _that_ many friends, Eren," Levi said.

"Well,  _excuse me_ for not knowing there was a dress code."

"You're not excused, frankly because she announced it in front of everyone."

"How am I supposed to know if she was being serious?!" Eren scrunched up his nose in frustration. "Ugh...I can't believe I'm actually going to do this myself. I can already hear the sound of her sadistic cackles ringing in my ears."

Levi glanced at the clock on his dash before pulling the shift into drive. 

"Not if I have anything to do with it," he announced suddenly, slamming on the gas at once.

"What...?" Eren was confused, but decided to go along with it.

Before long they had arrived in front a fancy looking boutique. Parking right in front of the store, Levi got out immediately and dragged Eren by the hood despite his protests. 

Levi flung open the doors and tossed Eren in front of the shopkeeper.

"Alright, Miss Dreyse, I need him looking like a prince visiting from a foreign country within 10 minutes, are you up for it?" Levi challenged at once.

The catty looking female eyed Eren up and down like a predator, her face slowly cracking into a smile as she gazed at him. 

"Oh my, if those eyes were a forest I would get _so lost_ in them," she murmured.

"Shut up, Dreyse, can you do it or not?" Levi snapped.

Her smile merely widened.

"You underestimate me, Levi, of course I can."

* * *

 It seemed like he had tried on a least a dozen suits and twenty more ties to go with them, but when Eren finally stepped out the door in his polished shoes, it had been a mere eight minutes. He was dressed finely from head to toe in dark fabrics: a black suit with a grey shirt and black tie. The new outfit brought about him a whole new aura of maturity, and Levi's smirk of approval when he'd first appeared removed any slight hint of doubt he had. 

Regardless, Eren found himself looking down at his attire in awe as he was sat in Levi's car. 

"Why are the people you know all so... _hardcore_?" Eren couldn't help but mutter.

Levi sighed, driving casually with one hand on the steering wheel. 

"It's because we're all part of a secret military organization," Levi said, staring straight ahead.

Eren's attention was diverted as he turned to look right at Levi. 

 

"We're all very skilled and efficient at what we do because it's been absorbed into our bloodstream for years. I'm their leader by the way. Why do you think everyone calls me captain?" he continued.

"It's not just because I'm the number one host at the club...it's also because I'm their actual _captain_."

Eren remained staring blankly at Levi, who didn't change his expression whatsoever.

"Now that you know about us...you have to join us..." he said ominously. 

Eren's eyes flickered. He was unable to believe what Levi was saying, what he was doing...

..and then he burst out laughing.

"Oh my god, Levi, you suck at acting," he cackled ecstatically, his knees curling up to his chest. He writhed underneath his seatbelt, practically dying from laughter.

Levi glared at him. "Oi brat, I was trying to tease you for a bit. Do you  _have_ to be so infuriating?" he growled. 

Eren had started slapping on the side of cardoor in his fit of laughter, much to Levi's irritation. Levi groaned one last time before fixing his eyes back onto the road. 

"You're such a goddamn piece of work," Levi grumbled quietly. 

"' _Now that you know about us...you have to join us...'"_ Eren looked as if he was about to explode, as he mocked Levi's discount performance from earlier. 

"Oi, is that how you repay your liberators?" Levi scowled, as he turned swiftly onto an emptier street lined with quaint, pretty houses.

Eren was wiping tears from his eyes. "It's not my fault your acting is so cheap...plus you tried to trick me first."

"I hate you, Eren Jaeger," Levi said as he pulled the car into park.

Eren grinned. "Hate you too,  _Levi_."

Taking advantage of the Levi's wary attention, Eren dove forwards and pecked a kiss onto Levi's cheek, completely taking him by surprise. 

Levi turned around, staring wide-eyed at Eren's cheeky grin for a moment before softening into a tender expression as he gazed at his adorable lover. He raised a hand and tucked it under Eren's cheek. He felt his heart flutter when Eren nuzzled lovingly against it, as if it was the warmest object in the entire world. A month ago he might've cringed at such a display of affection, but now...

"God, I  _really_ hate you," Levi emphasized with a whisper. 

And this time, it was was Levi's turn to take Eren by surprise, as he dove in and captured Eren's lips completely with his own.

 

* * *

 

"You're late," Hanji growled the moment Levi stepped in the door.

"I'm sorry, we got a little sidetracked, ok?" Levi retorted, slipping his shoes off carefully. 

Hanji's eyes narrowed. " _We?_ " she sneered. "Ah, I see. Frick-fracking with the little flower boy again, aren't we? I swear, ever since the day he showed up you've been ten times tardier than normal. Your character is even changing. You're becoming a fool. I swear if this keeps up, I'm going to have to do something about it."

Levi groaned. "I already said I'm sor—"

"Sorry Hanji! It was my fault!" 

Eren had stumbled through the door, bright-eyed and glowing as he often was recently. And it didn't help that he was wearing his sharp, new attire, and his hair was slightly more ruffled than normal, falling prettily over his green eyes. Plus, all Hanji saw was his merciful, pleading look, his eyes glistening and begging for forgiveness. 

And so she practically melted.

"All is forgiven!" she said gleefully, as she sauntered over and wrapped her arms around Eren's shoulders. "Goodness, Eren, you look so good today! If you weren't so matchy matchy with Levi it'd be perfect! I should really dress you up more often!"

"Claws off, Hanji," Levi glared at her. 

Hanji glared back swiftly, but removed her arms nonetheless. 

"Armin and the others are here already, so hurry on up and join them! They're in the dining room. I bet they can't wait to see you two!" Hanji slurred in the voice she often used at the host club. Levi shook his head quietly behind her as she danced away and disappeared down the corridor. 

"I may be a shitty actor but you were damn convincing just now," Levi said suddenly.

"What acting?" Eren responded, slipping his last shoe off before stumbling over beside Levi. 

"You've never been that cute and submissive around her before."

"Must be a side-effect of hanging around you all the time...it gets me what I want."

Levi shot Eren a dirty look while the brunette smiled back at him. "Why you little...I'll know what to look out for now."

Eren glanced around to make sure the hall was empty before pressing his lips against Levi's cheek swiftly. 

"You can try all you want but it won't make a difference," Eren grinned. Levi could not hide his pleased smile. 

Eren clutched onto Levi's arm just as a typical couple would on such an occasion, as the two walked into Hanji's dining room. Fortunately, their entrance was unnoticed as everyone was occupied amongst themselves.

"Wow, Hanji's place is bigger than it looks," Eren gawked, still holding onto Levi's arm. 

And it was true. Despite the modest appearance from the outside, Hanji's dining hall still managed to look massive despite all the members of the host club being present and mingling about freely. In the middle was a giant chandelier quite similar to ones from the host club, and the tables and chairs were made out of gorgeous mahogany wood. She had it nicely decorated as expected, with beautiful white lace curtains draping over the large windows and touches of silver here and there to match. 

"Well, look who finally decided to show up," called a familiar voice from beside them.

The two turned around to see Ymir and Christa striding up towards them, Ymir decked out in a familiar tux while Christa wore her signature red ballgown with red roses in her hair. Eren gulped. If it weren't for Levi he would've  _definitely_ stood out.

Ymir tugged on the collar of Eren's dress shirt, who swatted her away defensively. 

"So even you can dress up, huh, you runt?" she taunted. "I don't care how cute you think you are, you'll always be a violent little boy to me."

Christa sighed. "Why do I even bother trying to stop you anymore?"

"Oi, brown-freckles. You say one more word and you'll be as pale as the other Freckles so no one will be able to tell you two apart anymore," Levi threatened. 

But unfortunately, Ymir had a new trump card she often liked to use nowadays.

"Ooh! His manly, manly boyfriend is protecting him! How KWWWUUTE~!" she drawled. And she immediately scooted away before either Eren or Levi could land a kick on her.

"It hasn't been five minutes into this goddamn event and I'm already tired," Levi said.

"Tell me about it," Eren sighed. 

"Eren! You're here!" 

Eren recognized the voice immediately and turned around to see Armin waving at him. He was standing by Annie, Reiner and Bertholdt, which seemed like an abnormal crowd for him but then again, who doesn't Armin get along with?

He felt a pat on his back. 

"Go talk to him, Eren," Levi smiled. "That's enough clinging for now, we'll have to time to talk later."

"But **—** "

"I'll see you later, brat." With one last smile, Levi sauntered away towards where Hanji was standing with Erwin and Rico (who Eren hadn't even realized were here until now), leaving Eren free to go to Armin. Eren smiled to himself, pleased with Levi's empathy as he approached Armin and the others.

"What happened to your hoodie?" Armin inquired as he scanned Eren's new attire.

Eren smiled. "Someone helped me out." 

Eren greeted Annie, Bertholdt and Reiner in his usual, casual manner before moving on to ask something that had been bugging him all morning.

"But seriously guys, why are we  _actually_ here?" he spoke. 

The other four exchanged glances as if they knew exactly what Eren meant...just not the answer to it. 

"Who knows? The last time Hanji made a gathering like this it was for a race to the death to see who could gather the most supplies for the Host Club...the losers went without pay for a  _month_ ," Reiner whispered. Bertholdt and Annie visibly shivered at the sentence, as if the mere memory itself was more than haunting.

"What's with the fancy clothes then?" Eren inquired.

"It's her way of leading us on. Giving us as false sense of security," Annie answered. "It's the polar opposite, isn't it? Fancy clothes, extravagant atmosphere, nice dinner and then boom. She hits us. So we don't even know what happened."

"Maybe it's different this time, she's only done it once before, right?" Armin said hopefully. "Maybe she actually just wants to take a break and relax for once."

Bertholdt shook his head rapidly. "I heard the Titan Host Club has actually been falling behind in profits recently. If anything, this is just a ploy to cut our pay until we can recover. The only thing is, we don't know what it is yet...and we have no idea how to counter it."

"This is so messed up!" Eren cried. "She thinks she can just do whatever she wants to us!"

Reiner shrugged. "At least you have nothing to lose...you're not getting paid anyways."

"Oh, she'll find something...I know it," Armin shuddered. 

The five of them jumped as they suddenly felt an ominous feeling, as if someone was standing right behind them, listening to their every word.

When they looked to the side, there she was. Standing beside Erwin and talking with the most innocent smile on her face. 

But suddenly, she took a quick glance to where they were standing, and they all jumped. She smirked, as her glasses reflected the light so all that they could see were white lenses. 

Eren gulped.

"I should've just pretended I was sick today."

* * *

The rest of afternoon went on with virtually no surprises, carried by friendly banter and tasty snacks. As Annie promised, there was an extravagant, fancy three-course dinner ready for them by the time evening approached. It turns out that the chefs were none other than the familiar faces from the host club themselves ("Even when I'm invited to a party I still have to cook," Auruo had grumbled), so every part of the meal was more than fulfilling. Regardless, Eren couldn't help but have an uneasy feeling during the entirety of the dinner, which more or less destroyed his appetite.

As he was finishing his dessert, he subtly wiped his mouth before tugging on Levi's sleeve, who was sitting next to him.

"Hey, you wanna get out of here?" he whispered without out turning his head.

Silence for a moment, then a reply. 

"What are you planning, Eren?" Levi droned back.

"I want some time for ourselves..." Eren said. "Besides, I feel like Hanji's up to something."

The sight of Levi's napkin dropping onto the table was a clear answer in itself. 

"What're you gonna do about the blondie?" Levi inquired. He was staring straight at Armin, who was all the way across the table.

Eren shrugged, even though he knew Levi couldn't see. "Well, we can't save us all."

"Hmm. Not only are you stupid, but you're selfish too."

"Rude. Besides, my actual plan was to text him to sneak out afterwards and meet us somewhere. It's too sketchy if all three of us leave at once."

"You just thwarted both of my accusations in one statement."

"It's my job," Eren smirked.

And with that, he stood up as casually as he could, and pushed his chair back in. He glanced at Hanji, to make sure she wasn't looking before striding casually out of the room.

"Oi, Jaeger! Where you going?!" Jean called behind him. Eren cringed. Never before had he wanted to punch that horse snout so badly.

"Washroom," Eren responded smoothly. And he walked on as if nothing was the matter. 

By the time he was halfway down the hallway, he heard more chattering, indicating that Levi was starting to leave as well. As he put on his shoes, he saw Levi's figure making its way down towards him. They slipped on their shoes at the speed of light and practically clambered at the door. 

Eren twisted the knob. 

Nothing.

He exchanged worried glances with his partner in crime.

Levi checked all the locks and Eren tried again.

Still, that horrible click sounded once again. Levi starting fondling with every part of the door that he could. 

"Doors that lock from the inside...what is this...?" Levi mumbled. 

Eren remained speechless. He knew it was inevitable now. He'd thrown himself in this trap, and there was no way he was getting out. 

"My, my, going somewhere?" came the woman's voice.

The two froze at once. It was as if a horrid shadow was looming over them, engulfing them. Eren suddenly felt dizzy.

"But you haven't even seen the  _main event_ yet," the voice slurred. It was slowly becoming more and more distorted, hurting Eren's ears.

"Oi Hanji..." Levi growled, his voice raspier than normal. "What the fuck did you put in the food...?" Eren's eyes flashed in realization, as he weakly sank to his knees, Levi following after. 

"I have no idea what you're talking about~!" she sang. "But...I'll be seeing you later!"

Eren was about to say something anything, but he felt that his tongue was paralyzed. In his last effort, he reached forwards and grabbed onto Levi's sleeve, looking at him desperately. Levi used every remaining muscle in his body to nod reassuringly at him, though it was to no avail, as the heaviness started to eat away at the rest of their conscious mind. 

Eren's vivid eyes faded and closed, as he slumped to floor. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been awhile. Well, I'm still taking summer school but sorry for not updating in so long. Like wtf right? >.:)  
> (Spoiler: the next chapter will be called "The Hanji Games" lol)
> 
> I feel like I'm really indebted if you're still reading this. I've been sidetracked here and there but I'm still trying to portray the characters in decent manner. I hope it's not dragging on that much. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soooon as possible. 
> 
> Also, I tried to draw (lmao) some art for this and it's not very good yet. It's from the Halloween chapters: http://heichou-and-brat.tumblr.com/post/120814695722/so-i-tried-drawing-neko-eren-from-the-halloween It's pretty rough, and like the post says I'd love it if someone knows of some good beginning sites or tips for starting out drawings on photoshop. I'm so lost LOL
> 
> Anyways, thanks guys! Love you~!


	22. the hanji games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> •••Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to The Titan Host Club!•••
> 
> A risky host club reserved for refined men and women of all ages!
> 
>   
> What's life without a few challenges to take and decisions to make?
> 
> Surely it must take out any excitement!

Eren's entire body was aching, his head throbbing madly with pain as he felt himself slowly regain consciousness.

He squinted his eyes open, eyes still blurred from fatigue. And even when they had finally recovered and adjusted he had no entire where he was. 

It was a small and closed off room with no windows and only one door right in front of him and a wall speaker next to it. And of course, he was all alone. Levi and the others were nowhere to be seen. Eren shivered as he reminisced the horror games he used to play despite being terrified out of his pants. Since it was Hanji, he wouldn't put it past her to come up with something even more horrible than those games. After all, look what she'd managed already. 

The screeching from the speaker made Eren jump.

"Hi hi~!" It was the witch's voice herself. "Now that I see you're all awake I guess it's time to make the  _grand_ announcements! Welcome to the filming of the First Annual Host Club Hanji Games, where all your beloved hosts will be pitched together in a survival of the fittest!"

Eren felt his heart drop. He was suddenly sure he would barely last five minutes.  _  
_

"On my signal, the doors in front of you will be unlocked and you will be unleashed into the battlefield. There, you must hide and find various weapons and supply to aid you on your journey. The rules are simple: the last one who remains surviving win! The prize? You get to keep pay and shifts for the next the month!"

Eren grimaced. Turns out Marco was right.

"Oh, and don't forget to look good for the cameras because DVDs are coming out next month for all our precious customers!"

The young host turned to scan the room and saw that there were indeed cameras installed in the walls and ceiling of the room he was currently in.  _Curse you, Hanji. For making this greedy scheme._

"If you have any questions, I can't answer them...duh! I will be announcing those who have die over the speakers and any updating news as we go along! Have fun and good luck!"

A loud beep suddenly sounded, indicating that the doors had been unlocked. Eren backed away from it for a moment, not sure what was beyond that door and if he was ready to confront it yet. 

First, he groped around his pockets to see if any of his belongings were still there. Turns out, nothing was gone, and his heart beat in anticipation as he pulled out his cellphone. There was signal. 

_Strange for Hanji to forget about something like this..._

Hurriedly, he sent a text to all of his host club members.

**Eren [9:27 P.M.]: Hey, where are you guys?! Let's meet up! We can do something about this together!**

It wasn't long before he got his first reply, but it was definitely not what he anticipated.

**Jean [9:28 P.M.]: nice try jaeger. r u rlly dat desperate to keep ur shifts with ur precious Weevi~?**

Eren grit his teeth.  _Oh well, it's just Jean..._

His phone beeped again.

**Christa [9:28 P.M.]: Sorry, Eren. This is a serious fight. I can't afford to die first.**

**Annie [9:28 P.M.]: I'm slightly insulted that you think I'm that easy.**

**Ymir [9:29 P.M.]: Do you take me for an idiot, you little weasel?**

**Reiner [9:29 P.M.]: bruh dats low**

**Bertholdt [9:29 P.M.]: I didn't know you were this type Eren...**

**Connie [9:30 P.M.]: Sorry! Already got an alliance with Sasha...and our guns! :3**

Eren wasn't sure whether he wanted to facepalm or just collapse and give up right then and there. 

"WHY ARE THEY ALL TAKING THIS SO DAMN SERIOUSLY?!" he bellowed to himself, wanting to chuck his phone across the room (though probably not a good idea).

However, his phone beeped again.

**Armin [9:32 P.M.]: Sure, Eren. Let's get used to this place first and decide where we wanna meet up.**

Eren breathed a sigh of relief. Sometimes he wondered what he'd done to deserve a best friend like Armin. 

With that text of reassurance, Eren swallowed and built up the courage to finally get up and walk towards the door. He was taken aback when he was met with an unexpected gust of wind. 

"What the--" Eren shielded his face.  _Wind?_

Slowly, he uncovered his arms to realize that he was suddenly standing outside. He looked behind to see that he had just exited from a wood cabin, and there was only one distinct path leading away from it, the rest surrounded by dark and clustered trees.

He weighed his choices. He could either skip away into the cluster of trees and fuck it all since choosing the designated path was so against his will, or he could be obedient for once in his life. 

As he was about the dance away into the forest, an image of Levi dramatically saving his life on an abandoned route flashed in his mind. His heart started thumping. Surely if he was to go to the appointed destination, his charming hero (cough) would be there. 

And really that was all it took for Eren to be swayed as he started trotting down the dirt path. 

After a several long minutes of a walk that was a bit too peaceful, Eren started to be more wary of his surroundings. He felt the adrenaline preparing to rush through him at the thought of something or someone jumping out at him. Also, he kept an eye out for signs of the one he wanted to see the most, as well as Armin who had agreed to meet him.

Suddenly, he saw something glint out of the corner of his eye. Curious, he stepped towards the tall grass where it originated from. Brushing the thick brambles aside, he discovered what was a toy replica of a sword. Of course, it wasn't real, but a shudder washed through his body as he realized just what Hanji's game was going to consist of. 

As he pulled the sword free, he wondered why it had been so easy for him to find it. He'd expect Hanji to hide the weapons in treetops or something, just to make life harder for everyone. Perhaps she just wanted to get to the action earlier, laying it there almost in plain sight for him--

A shiver ran down Eren's spine at a sudden thought. 

_Or it wasn't Hanji who put it there._

A sudden splash and he saw that the grass bending over due to sudden impact and he quickly dove out of the way, yelping in surprise. Before he had time to react, more and more squirts of water came at him, though not once did they hit his body due to his surprising agility. He was useless against a ranged weapon and he could only dodge and dodge. At last, he sought refuge behind some thicker bushes, peeking out to see who his enemy was.

"Don't move!" a voice called out angrily. 

Naturally, Eren froze in place, but not without averting his eyes in the direction of the voice. His eyes widened as he realized just who it was.

"Annie..." Eren said. "We don't have to do this."

"Words are easily said, Jaeger," she responded. "But we've been put into a situation where I have no choice but to eliminate you."

"We can team up!" Eren yelled. "In fact, the entire group can team up and show Hanji who really runs this host club."

"Spoken like some sort of manga protagonist," Annie scoffed, visibly tightening the grip on her water gun. "But unfortunately, this is real life, and I don't plan on having you literally stab me in the back seconds later."

Eren gave her a deadpanned expression. 

"THIS IS A FRIKKEN HUNGER GAMES SIMULATION WITH A BUNCH OF HOSTS AS TRIBUTES," he exclaimed in frustration. "WHAT PART OF THIS IS REAL LIFE TO YOU?"

"Enough of your back talk, Jaeger, I'm going to end this right now," Annie grimaced, her finger slowly squeezing the trigger. Eren squeezed his eyes shut, expecting this to be the end. 

He heard a whizzing noise, and expected the wet splash on his body. But when none came, he slowly squinted his eyes open. 

Eren stared in astonishment as Annie collapsed to the ground, an arrow with a suction cup at the end stuck to her back. Her eyes were stunned in a quite realistic death expression.

"What..." Eren uttered. He looked up and saw another familiar blonde and an all too familiar smile, approaching the "dead" body to retrieve the arrow.

"ARMIN!" Eren cried happily, running over to his friend. 

"You would've been dead meat without me...even here, huh?" said Armin. Eren shrugged, not having the heart to agree. 

Armin pulled the arrow from Annie's body, which remained lifeless until now. Eren was starting to get concerned, wondering why she was so adamant about it. He leaned down to whisper next to her ear. 

"Psst...why the hell are you trying so hard?." he asked.

He thought he saw a wriggle, and then an extremely quiet but intimidating response two seconds later.

"Get the hell out of here Jaeger..." she barely breathed. "I'd rather have a 90% pay deduction than nothing at all. Now get out before she sees!" And then she fell limp again, her face first into the ground, much to Eren's disgust. 

He felt Armin starting to tug on his arm. :"Let's get out of here, Eren. All we have to do is survive this and we should be alright. It's not like we have any pay to lose."

"...mmm, but we do have dignity. And I swear to god she has too many female costumes that don't seem to fit any of our females for some reason..."

Armin had to grimace at the thought. "Well, if it saves me from seeing you in a bunny suit..."

* * *

 

Eren collapsed onto a tree, exhausted and breathing heavily. His suit jacket was open, his hair and clothes disheveled and filthy. It wasn't long before Armin sat down beside him in a similar state, still tightly clutching his rubber bow and arrow.

"How many hours has it been?" the blonde friend huffed, lacking the strength to even make eye contact.

"I don't know," Eren breathed in response. "But more important...how many kills has it been?"

"Well, if the updates were accurate and my memory serves...Sasha was the fourth remaining survivor."

"That means..." Eren's eyes widened.

Armin smirked. "There's only us and one very capable captain left..."

Eren sighed, leaning his head back onto the bark behind him. They were extremely close to winning this, but at the same time, how could they ever hope the captain himself? Sure, they had managed to pull a fast one on Annie, bait Connie and Sasha with food and fool Jean into thinking they were holding Marco for ransom (which was really barely a feat at all), but Levi himself had presumably taken out the remaining extremely capable hosts single-handedly. 

And of course, Eren didn't know if he could bring himself to "kill" Levi given the chance. Saying that he was biased was an underestimation. He starred at the toy sword in his hand with burden. This filthy, slightly crooked sword was the one which cut away both Sasha's and Jean's legal wages for the near future. 

"Hey Eren," Armin spoke suddenly. 

"Hmm?"

"...you better not betray me for him when the time comes," Armin muttered. 

Even though it was a simple statement, Eren felt his heart sink to unimaginable depths. 

"Dude...how can you say that? I'd have been dead five minutes in if it weren't for you," Eren said. "Plus, you're my best friend! I would never betray you for anyone else."

Armin seemed dejected. "Even for your beloved captain?"

To Eren's horror, he felt that lump in his throat, but managed to struggle past it. "Yes. Even for him." he said confidently. 

Armin stared at Eren, as if to validate how genuine his friends' words really were. "Eren, you don't have to..."

Suddenly, Armin's body tensed up and his eyes widened alarmingly. 

"ARMIN?" Eren yelped. 

Armin's eyes started to flutter realistically, his breathing intensified.

"Eren...you liar..." he breathed.

"What?!" Eren was suddenly very afraid and confused, and it wasn't until Armin crumpled onto the dirt ground that he realized they weren't alone anymore. Or rather they hadn't been for awhile.

As if by dark magic, an extremely familiar person appeared out from the shadows, clutching a toy sword in his hand and a victorious expression on his face. His clothes were barely tampered, and every strand of his hair was in place. 

"Levi!" Eren gasped. "Why did you kill Armin?!"

"Oh? Did you not aid me by keeping his attention?" Levi responded.

"I didn't know you were here, bastard!" Eren cried, daring to look over to Armin's lifeless body. "How could you?! He's been with me this entire time! He even saved my life!" 

"It was either him or you...and though I am fond of the kid, I have a preference this time," Levi said. 

Eren was trying to keep himself from tearing up, as childish as it seemed, but he truly felt as if he had betrayed his best friend after what he had affirmed, and it made him feel completely horrible inside. 

Levi knelt down to reach Eren's eye level. "Oi, brat...it'll be ok. There is only supposed to be one survivor in this game anyway."

Eren's eyes flashed in alarm as he nearly recoiled from Levi. "Does that mean...are you going to end me next?"

Levi was silent. Eren felt the inevitable moment arise.

Suddenly, Levi picked up his sword and moved closer to Eren. Eren felt himself fill with dread as he realized that this was truly going to be his end. He squeezed his eyes shut, awaiting the final strike. 

"Eren..." he heard Levi's voice called out gently to him. Realizing that it had been awhile, he slowly peeked out from between his eyelids. That was when he realized that Levi did not have his sword brandished, but rather he was holding out towards Eren as if trying to give it to him.

"Levi...?"

"Eren...take this sword and end me."

The words echoed throughout the woods, though Eren was still in disbelief at what had just been uttered. His speechless state was enough to convey his thoughts. Here Levi was, undoubtedly the strongest and most capable person in the entire club, and he was willing to give everything to Eren. Just like that. Without any hesitation.

Of all days, he never thought he'd be the wimpiest today, but Eren honestly felt like bawling again. 

"Levi, no! I can't! I couldn't!" he tried to counter.

"It's for the best, Eren," Levi responded. "I've won these challenges every other damn year and she still manages to find a way to screw me over in the end, so I'd rather just accept the second place punishment. As for you, I can't imagine what would happen if she were to toy with you any way she wants...this will be the least painful solution, believe me, rather than having to witness you go through all that later."

Eren wanted to scream, he wanted to yell. He didn't know how to react in a situation like this. It was practically a goddamn proposal, with Levi saying he'd rather take the pain than having Eren go through it. He thought he could hear Armin's supposed corpse make retching noises beside him but chose to ignore it. Levi's words were making his heart and brain go nuts and he was sure he would combust in moments. 

Suddenly, an idea flickered in his mind. 

"How about..." Eren opened his mouth. 

"Eren, there's no other way. Trust me, I dont mind," Levi interrupted. 

Eren said nothing, as he leaned over to grab his toy sword from earlier. 

"How about we break the system?" Eren smirked suddenly. 

Levi appeared taken aback. "How do you intend to do that?"

"You mean no one's ever thought of this before?" Eren asked. "It's easy, let's just stab each other at the exact same time and have two first place winners. That would move everyone else's ranks up and surely not even Hanji can argue that."

Levi's eyes flickered, and Eren realized his idea must be a good one. 

"Hmm...I can't believe that's never been done before...probably because none of us trust each other enough, but..." Levi contemplated. "Brat, I think you're onto something."

Eren brandished his sword. "Well then, heichou, what are you waiting for? Let's hurry up finish this and get out of this godforsaken place."

Levi smirked slightly, and held up his own sword. "Yeah, these big ass trees are starting to make me want to kill myself...literally."

Eren smiled. "To us." He aimed the sword at Levi's heart.

Levi did the same. "To us."

* * *

 

"...and Levi and Eren will receive no pay for the next two weeks and be my errand boys for the next month because they tried to break the system," Hanji announced. "And when you try to break my system, the system breaks you."

"GODDAMMIT BRAT! I knew we shouldn't have done it!" Levi roared, clutching Eren by the throat and shaking him back and forth.

"WHAT?!  _ME?!_ You were the one who was all like ' _I believe the brat is onto something trololol'_ " Eren retorted, releasing himself.

"I DO NOT SOUND LIKE THAT!" 

The scuffle continued, as the rest of the host club members seated around the table looked on with tired eyes. They were back in the host club, to start a new day, where Hanji was announcing the results of the competition. Most of them were getting their pay deducted by at least fifty percent along with special task assignments for the rest of the month, though Eren and Levi had it the worst of all. However, there seemed to be an exception of one member...

"Armin!" Hanji exclaimed suddenly. "I almost forgot! Thanks to your brilliant acting, emotionally delivered lines and technically coming in first thanks to the two idiot rebels, you will now be receiving regular pay at the host club!" 

"WHAT?!" Eren yelled, tearing himself away from Levi for a second. 

Armin's beaming face was enough of an answer.

"See Armin! I didn't betray you! Look what you got because of me," he desperately tried to reclaim himself. 

"Yeah, thanks buddy," Armin winked at his friend. 

Eren smiled for a second, but then realized Levi's hands were still grabbed onto his arms and resumed his futile fight. 

Annie sighed as she stood up from the table. "Well, it sure feels and sounds like we're back to the old days."

Ymir scoffed. "What are you talking about? That's obviously just their way of flirting. Leave them be, we gotta open up in twenty minutes."

"Reduced pay means bright smiles everyone!" Jean added in, much to everyone's discontent. 

They all left the room except for Eren and Levi, who had somehow ended up sprawled on the floor at this point. 

And thus, ended the Hanji Games for the year. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *70 years later*  
> ...hai.I'm not dead. so much for updating soon :P
> 
> it's been a...stressful year for me and I'm sorry it's been awhile but I'm just caught with a lot of things. Plus, this chapter gave me serious writer's block and I feel like I had to just make it short and sweet and just the main things I wanted to bring across. Just a little relief, filler kind of crack-ish omake dump before it goes back to the main story :)  
> Second semester will start soon and honestly second year as been brutal. I'll find a way to come here, and I know it's bene like half a year but here I am XD
> 
> I'll see you all soon and thanks for reading. Much love~ ;3


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